BMC lists 28-point rules for construction sites and 76 ward squads to curb Mumbai air pollution

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has listed several steps to keep air pollution in check in Mumbai. They include a 28-point guideline for construction and demolition sites, inspections by ward-level squads and action against those who break the rules.

According to a BMC press release, Mumbai had 231 days up to October 22, 2026 when the Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the "good" and "satisfactory" categories. The figure was 218 days in 2025, 216 in 2024 and 185 in 2023. The release also says that, according to data on the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's PRANA portal, PM10 levels in Mumbai fell by about 48 per cent between 2017-18 and 2025-26.

Under the 28-point guideline, construction sites must be enclosed with green cloth, jute sheets or tarpaulin to keep dust from spreading. A building being demolished must be covered from top to bottom, and water must be sprayed continuously during demolition.

Construction projects taller than 70 metres and layouts spread over more than one acre must have metal-sheet barricades at least 35 feet high. On sites smaller than an acre, barricades must be at least 25 feet high.

Water sprinklers or fogging systems must run on site while material is being loaded and unloaded. Water must also be sprayed on debris, soil and other materials that send fine particles into the air. Grinding, cutting, drilling, sawing and trimming must be done in an enclosed space, with continuous water spraying or fogging so that dust does not escape.

The guideline also makes it mandatory to install sensor-based air pollution monitors at construction sites. If pollution rises above the set limit, immediate action must be taken, and monitoring data must be shown to civic officials during inspections. The BMC said 3,166 construction sites have installed these monitors and been linked to a central dashboard on which the corporation views the readings.

CCTV cameras must be installed on the site boundary wall to check whether vehicles are leaving after cleaning their tyres and whether they are overloaded. Vehicles carrying construction material and debris must be fully covered on top and on all sides, must not be overloaded and must hold a valid pollution control certificate.

The BMC said 76 ward-level squads carry out surprise and random inspections. Each squad checks at least two construction sites a day and follows up on compliance at pollution hotspots. Under the guideline, a squad will have two ward engineers, a police personnel, a marshal and a vehicle, and will be led by a senior ward officer.

The press release says: "If a site is found to have violated the prescribed measures, action may include a show-cause notice, a stop-work notice or sealing of the premises. The BMC said action is taken on the basis of site-specific inspection reports, photographs and videos." Ward officers have also been asked to deploy special squads, especially at night, to stop construction and demolition waste from being dumped clandestinely.

Debris generated at sites must be taken to designated dumping sites as per the waste management plan, and vehicles must be washed thoroughly after unloading. The movement of debris and its approved disposal are monitored through the Mumbai Debris Control and Tracking System (MDCTS).

According to the corporation, deep cleaning is carried out to remove dust from roads, and 29 multipurpose vehicles also clean daily. Developers and contractors must clean the surrounding roads according to the size of their site. A tyre-washing facility at the site exit is also mandatory. The BMC is coordinating with the traffic police to check the cleaning of ready-mix concrete vehicles and to act against vehicles emitting visible pollution.

Burning garbage or other materials in the open is completely prohibited within BMC limits, especially at dumping sites. Developers and contractors will arrange food for workers staying at construction sites so that fuels such as wood are not burnt. Security guards and workers are barred from burning such fuel, especially at night, and electric heaters must be provided to them.

According to the press note, bakeries account for about 3.5 per cent of particulate pollution in Mumbai. Of the city's 593 bakeries, 209 were already using clean fuel and 175 have switched. Another 69 are in the process of switching, 87 are still not complying and eight have closed. Green fuel is mandatory for new bakery licences and approvals, and this will be checked before a licence is issued.

The corporation is installing pollution control equipment at 10 crematoriums. Its 2026 winter pollution prevention and action plan covers hotspots, open burning, compliance at construction sites, road dust and vehicle checks. Ahead of Diwali, the BMC reiterated that bursting firecrackers is not permitted in public places, including public roads, lanes, footpaths and silence zones.