The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved 15 models of low-cost air quality sensors to be installed at every construction site in Mumbai, in compliance with a mandate from the Bombay High Court. These monitors will display real-time air quality readings both on-site and online, alerting the civic body and residents in case pollution levels exceed prescribed limits.
An official from the BMC’s environment department stated, “In February, the BMC invited firms to submit their sensor-based air quality monitors for evaluation. Out of 22 submissions, 15 were selected as meeting our specifications.” Although the installation of such monitors has been mandatory since 2023, only about 10% of construction sites have installed them so far, and most of these are unreliable.
The BMC will share details of the approved sensor makes and models via the AutoDCR portal, enabling builders to install them at their sites. Additionally, construction sites will be required to display air quality readings on prominent boards.
The Bombay High Court, in a suo moto petition on air pollution filed in late April, ordered construction sites to install these sensors within six weeks, by mid-June. Failure to comply would result in closure orders. However, a BMC official mentioned that the civic body plans to request a one-month extension of the deadline.
Keval Valambhia, COO of CREDAI-MCHI, a real estate developers’ association, welcomed the move but urged the government to also promote green building technologies, which are more costly but environmentally friendly. He emphasised that the construction sector is not solely responsible for air pollution and noted their collaboration with MahaPreit to assess construction’s impact on pollution.
Recently, CREDAI-MCHI conducted a workshop with WRI India, the BMC, and MPCB to discuss pollution mitigation measures such as fogging, wheel washing, and enclosed cutting areas. It is expected that sensor installation will take about a month, and the BMC will take three months to launch an online dashboard for monitoring readings. This initiative will enable targeted action against errant construction sites, rather than broad measures across entire civic wards.
Source: Hindustan Times
