Mumbai BMC Air Pollution Control: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced several steps to reduce air pollution in Mumbai. These include 28 rules for construction sites, surprise inspections and penalties for those who don’t follow the rules.
According to the BMC, Mumbai recorded 231 days with ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’ air quality up to October 22, 2026. This was higher than 218 days in 2025, 216 in 2024 and 185 in 2023. The civic body also said PM10 pollution levels fell by around 48% between 2017-18 and 2025-26, according to the PRANA portal.
BMC Makes Dust Control Compulsory at Construction Sites
Under the 28-point rules, builders must cover construction areas with green cloth, jute sheets or tarpaulin to stop dust from spreading. Buildings being demolished must be covered from top to bottom, with water sprayed throughout the work.
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Projects taller than 70 metres and sites spread over more than one acre must have metal barricades at least 35 feet high. Sites covering less than one acre need barricades of at least 25 feet. Water sprinklers or fogging systems must be used while loading and unloading materials. Dusty materials such as soil and debris must also be kept wet.
Cutting, drilling, grinding and sawing work must take place in covered areas to prevent dust from escaping.
Construction sites must install air quality sensors and share their readings with the BMC. The civic body said 3,166 sites have connected their monitors to a central dashboard. CCTV cameras must also check whether vehicles are cleaned before leaving and whether they’re overloaded.
Vehicles carrying construction waste must be covered on every side and have valid pollution-under-control certificates.
76 Squads to Inspect Sites and Take Action
The BMC has formed 76 ward-level squads to inspect construction sites. Each squad must carry out at least two inspections daily and check pollution hotspots. A team includes two ward engineers, a policeman, a marshal and a vehicle. A senior ward officer will lead it.
“If a site is found violating the prescribed measures, action may include show-cause notices, stop-work notices or sealing of the premises. The BMC said enforcement action is supported by site-specific inspection reports, photographs and videographs,” the press release said.
Special teams will also look for illegal dumping of construction waste, especially at night.
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The BMC said construction waste must go to approved disposal locations. Its movement is tracked through the Mumbai Debris Control and Tracking System (MDCTS). Vehicles must be washed after unloading. The civic body also cleans roads to remove dust and uses 29 multipurpose vehicles for regular sweeping. Builders must clean nearby roads and provide tyre-washing facilities at site exits. The BMC is also working with Traffic Police to check ready-mix concrete vehicles and visibly polluting vehicles.
Open Burning and Bakery Pollution Also Under Watch
Open burning is banned across the BMC area. Builders must arrange food for workers so they don’t burn firewood to cook. Security guards and labourers can’t burn such fuels at night, and developers must provide electric heaters.
The BMC said bakeries produce around 3.5% of Mumbai’s particulate matter emissions. Out of 593 bakeries, 209 were using cleaner fuel, 175 had converted, 69 were changing over, 87 were still not following the rules and eight had shut down. New bakery licences require green fuel, with checks before approval.
The civic body is also installing pollution-control devices at 10 crematoria. Its 2026 winter plan covers construction sites, road dust, vehicle checks, illegal waste burning and pollution hotspots. Ahead of Diwali, the BMC also said firecrackers aren’t allowed on public streets, footpaths, lanes or in silence zones.
