14 smog towers, 3,400 electric BEST buses among 10 key BMC budget announcements

1) A total of 14 smog towers will be installed across seven zones in Mumbai (two in each zone). The height of each tower will be roughly 30 ft and will occupy an area of 2ft by 2ft. The towers control air quality through radio waves and through electromagnetic action.

2) In order to achieve ‘Net Zero’ announced in last year’s budget, the BMC has planned to install air purifiers in five most-crowded areas: Dahisar Toll Naka, Mulund Check Naka, Mankhurd, Kalanagar Junction, and Haji Ali Junction.

3) Mumbai will have 3,400 electric BEST buses by December 2023. The existing 3,500 diesel buses will be converted to CNG buses.

4) Five continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) will be set up. Ward-level assessment of emissions under the National Clean Air Programme with support from the MPCB, NEERI, IIT-Bombay, and other partner institutions will be introduced.

5) The BMC has launched the door-to-door Aarogya Kutumbam scheme, under which health workers will visit citizens and conduct tests to determine if one is suffering from hypertension and diabetes.

6) Under the new National Education Policy 2020, students from select BMC schools will be given Skill Development Training in their field of interest. The schools will offer the following courses from June 2023 – electronics, hotel management, apparel, fashion designing, food service, health and hygiene, automobile, tourism and hospitality. A budgetary allocation of Rs 28.45 crore has been made for the same.

7) Ninety-seven additional Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed. These AWS collect weather data on 28 parameters, such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, etc. every 15 minutes and are connected to the central server located at the Worli Data Centre of the BMC.

8) The BMC will map footpath facilities for all major roads of more than 9-metre width and wherever a footpath is found to be absent or not in good shape, new concrete cement footpaths with smooth walking quality and international surface designs will be constructed in fast track mode. Rs 200 crore has been earmarked under this head.

9) Rs 6 crore has been allotted for the construction of a nine-storey building for an old age home on a 5 per cent amenity plot in Goregaon (East) in P/South Ward. The total cost of the said work is Rs 14.23 crore. The work order was issued in December 2022, and the work is expected to be completed in the next 20 months.

10) A ‘Cinema Lab’ and a ‘Green Filming Zone’ to be set up in the designated Special Entertainment Zone, to help young filmmakers connect with the film ecosystem of Mumbai and provide them international exposure.