Mumbai’s air quality keeps declining as the city’s skyline soars to new heights. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued 1,867 show-cause letters to contractors for breaking dust mitigation regulations at construction sites throughout the city during a massive crackdown that took place between October 2024 and February 2025.
What is raising alarm is not just the sheer scale of non-compliance, but the fact that 42% of these violations were committed by contractors appointed by public sector agencies for major infrastructure works. This includes entities such as the MMRDA, SRA, MHADA, and MSRDC, who are spearheading marquee projects like metro rail networks, bullet train corridors, and road upgrades.
In 2023, the BMC established dust management standards that required actions including barricading, frequent compliance checks, and the use of green or jute sheet covers in construction zones. Ironically, even contractors working on BMC’s own civic projects are disregarding these rules, according to recent data.
The five-month window saw an exponential rise in enforcement, with 295 notices issued in February 2025 alone to contractors involved in BMC-led works like road concretisation, sewage upgrades, and treatment plant construction. The K/East ward—home to dense commercial hubs—emerged as the worst affected, receiving the highest number of stop work orders amid a massive road concretisation drive spanning 525 km, or one-fourth of the city’s entire road network.
Experts warn that unchecked dust pollution is not just an environmental concern but a serious public health threat. Residents living near metro corridors and road works have reported increased respiratory issues and lower quality of life. Citizen groups are now demanding real-time dust level monitoring, greater transparency, and ward-wise pollution dashboards.
Despite the rising enforcement, environmental researchers argue that the BMC’s actions may amount to symbolic compliance unless there is follow-through. “Notices alone won’t deter persistent offenders. Penalties, blacklisting, and suspension of work permits are necessary,” said an independent expert.
An official from the civic environment department admitted that while awareness is growing, implementation remains poor. “Dust control must go beyond checklists. We need stronger, on-ground enforcement systems,” the official added.
As Mumbai races towards its pre-monsoon deadlines with city-wide construction in full swing, the pressing question is this: Can the city meet its development targets without compromising public health and environmental sustainability?
Since the legitimacy of Mumbai’s green infrastructure plan is currently under scrutiny, immediate changes to the laws governing and enforcing dust are imperative. It is now essential for a city on the verge of change to prioritise clean, responsible growth above unbridled expansion.
Source: Urban Acres
