Mumbai air quality index: BMC to imposing Grap IV measures? construction activities halted

The direct effect of this will be that construction activities will be halted in those areas where the air quality index (AQI) breaches the 200 mark, which is a poor category.

Mumbai civic body chief Bhushan Gagrani told reporters on December 30 that all private and public construction works have been suspended in the Borivali East and Byculla areas of Mumbai, where the AQI has consistently breached the 200 mark.

Gargrani told reporters,”In all the areas of Mumbai where the AQI index surpasses the 200 mark, we will be stopping work at all construction sites under the GRAP-IV norms. Once the AQI breaches 200, the rule will be implemented immediately without issuing any stop-work notices to the developers.”

The BMC has issued 28-point detailed guidelines and environmental management plans for projects to reduce pollution caused by construction projects.

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What are GRAP-IV measures?

GRAP 4 restrictions under the winter air pollution control plan, include a complete ban on construction activities, as the air quality worsened to the ‘severe’ category due to adverse weather conditions. Due to deteriorating air quality, the Stage 4 curbs were implemented earlier this month in Delhi.

Stop work notices to construction projects in Mumbai due to worsening air quality.

In a statement on December 30, the BMC said that it has inspected 877 construction projects and issued ‘Stop Work Notices’ at about 286 places so far and that this process will continue continuously.

The BMC said that citizens can register complaints about Mumbai air quality on the ‘Mumbai Air App,’ where it has received 412 complaints, of which 350 have been disposed of. The statement added that 352 incidents of open burning of garbage from 04 November 2023 to 10 December 2024resulted in criminal charges.