Halt construction activities in Mumbai till AQI improves, Deora writes to BMC

The Shiv Sena MP expressed concern about Mumbai’s rapidly deteriorating air quality and the continued lack of strong enforcement to curb dust and particulate pollution

Mumbai: Following a significant decline in air quality over the last few days, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Thursday wrote to municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, calling for construction activities across the city to be temporarily halted in response to what he described as a “public-health emergency”.

Milind Deora expressed concern about Mumbai’s rapidly deteriorating air quality and the continued lack of strong enforcement to curb dust and particulate pollution. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

In his letter, Deora expressed concern about Mumbai’s rapidly deteriorating air quality and the continued lack of strong enforcement to curb dust and particulate pollution, particularly from construction activities, debris transport, roadwork, and unmanaged roadside dust. He wrote that Mumbai requires extraordinary and immediate action to curb air pollution, as routine measures will no longer be sufficient given the severity of the crisis.

The Shiv Sena MP has asked for a temporary halt to all road-digging, construction, and excavation activities, including those by utilities, until citywide air quality levels return to safe and acceptable limits. Prolonged exposure to high PM2.5 and PM10 levels increases respiratory illness, cardiovascular risk, and long-term morbidity, directly impacting millions of citizens, including children and the elderly, his letter said.

“This crisis demands urgent, extraordinary, and sustained intervention from the civic administration. Air-quality management must become a year-round priority, not merely a seasonal response,” the letter added.

In response to Deora’s letter, Gagrani said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had already initiated action following a meeting on November 24, adding that further restrictions would be imposed on construction sites.