One month past the deadline, more than 50% bakeries yet to switch to cleaner fuel

According to the civic body’s data, there are 592 bakeries in Mumbai, out of which 209 are already operating in cleaner fuel, while 297 bakeries are yet to switch to cleaner fuel as they still operate on the conventional ovens known as bhattis or wooden chulhas. The BMC’s data also show that till now only two bakeries have applied for subsidies to the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) for a 35% rebate in the installation scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme. Earlier in February, the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) had waived off security deposits for bakers in Mumbai.

The civic officials said that now stop-work notices will be issued to the bakery owners which are yet to switch to cleaner fuels.

“The proposal was mooted in February and since then the administration has held multiple meetings with the bakery association. We have also proposed to them as a waiver on issuing Fire NOCs and the MGL had also announced a waiver for them. Yet, only two bakeries have applied for PNG connection while most of them are yet to install eco-friendly measures of fuel. The BMC is acting strictly on the basis of court order and henceforth stop-work notices will be issued to owners,” said an official.

The civic officials said that after the notices are issued, the bakery owners will be given time to explain the delay in installation. If they fail to give a proper reply, then stricter action will be taken on them.

Further, the BMC’s data shows that out of the bakeries that are still running on chulhas, 37 of them are in the process of converting to cleaner fuels. Between February and August this year, a total of 46 bakeries have switched to cleaner fuel of which 32 of them had installed after the first notice was served, while 14 of them had made the switch after getting the second notice.

Since 2022, Mumbai, despite being an island city, has been looming under the woes of air pollution. In 2023, the BMC issued the Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan (MAPMP) in which smoke and emission generated from bakeries and eateries were identified as one of the key sources of Mumbai’s air pollution. The BMC’s data shows that as of today, bakeries contribute to 6% of Mumbai’s overall air quality.

“Even though 6% may not be a very high number, it should be noted that almost all these bakeries are located in densely populated areas like Byculla, Mazgaon, Malad, Santacruz among others. Therefore, their contribution to human beings is actually very hazardous,” said a civic official.

At present, the traditional pav–which is a staple food for Mumbaikars–are baked in ovens (bhattis) which are dome-shaped structures made out of bricks and mortars, which are suited for wood fires as the sole source of heat. Members from the BBA said that usage of electricity in baking pav is economically unviable and impossible to be used in the dome-shaped structures that have a maximum area of 150 square feet.