3 min readDec 15, 2025 09:32 PM IST
First published on: Dec 15, 2025 at 09:32 PM IST
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday informed the Bombay High Court that it has collected nearly 68 tonnes (67.86 tonnes) of dust since November 1 as part of measures to curb air pollution in the city.
The civic body said it washed a total of 1,518.35 km of roads between November 1 and December 8. For this, 38 trips of 5,000-litre tankers and 196 trips of 9,000-litre tankers were deployed, resulting in the use of nearly 34.8 lakh litres of water, assuming tankers operated at full capacity.
The BMC also told the court that of the 593 bakeries within its limits, 246 are still operating on wood and coal and are yet to shift to gas, electricity or other green fuel sources. Notices have been issued to these bakeries and enforcement action is being taken by ward health officers, it said.
Advocate Joel Carlos, appearing for the BMC, submitted an affidavit filed by Chief Engineer (Environment and Climate Change) Avinash Kate before a bench headed by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad.
The bench has been hearing a suo motu PIL and other petitions initiated after taking note of various news reports, including The Indian Express’s ‘Death by Breath’ series, which highlighted an “alarming scenario” of air pollution beginning November 2023.
“The BMC is continuing washing roads on a regular basis so as to ensure that the dust particles are not floating in the air and the particulate matter is settled/washed away. This initiative focuses on improving air quality and urban hygiene through advanced cleaning methods and resource optimization during Deep Cleaning Drives. Key activities include sweeping, brushing, and high-pressure water jet cleaning of roads, footpaths, and areas under parked vehicles and junction boxes,” the affidavit said.
The civic body added that while road-washing activity was suspended during the monsoon, full-scale operations resumed in November 2025. A total of 67 tankers of 5,000-litre capacity and 39 tankers of 9,000-litre capacity were deployed across 24 wards on a trip basis.
It further informed the court that 25 misting machines are being operated in two shifts daily. Since last month, 179 shifts of misting machines have been deployed, covering a road length of nearly 802.8 km.
The HC was also told that penalties amounting to Rs 84,700 were collected in 107 cases of garbage burning between June and November 2025.
According to the Development Planning Department, there are currently 1,954 ongoing construction projects. As of December 5, 1,020 low-cost air quality index (AQI) monitoring sensors have been installed at sites, while 397 installations are underway.
The court was further informed that a four-member panel comprising three lawyers and Anita Patil, Conservator of Forests, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, inspected 36 sites, including industrial units such as ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The panel has prepared its report and will submit it to the court this week.
Adjourning the matter to Monday, December 22, Chief Justice Chandrashekhar said, “Let us find some concrete solution, otherwise the matter is listed and court issues some directions.”
The HC was also told that penalties amounting to Rs 84,700 were collected in 107 cases of garbage burning between June and November 2025.
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