BMC to run special dust-control cleanliness drive in all Mumbai wards till November 7 ahead of Diwali

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned a special cleanliness drive to reduce road dust and keep air pollution in check in Mumbai ahead of Diwali. Each ward has been given Rs 15 lakh for the purpose. The drive will run from October 28 to November 7.

The drive will focus on major arterial roads and dusty areas, where intensive cleaning, mechanical sweeping, dust removal and water sprinkling will be carried out before the festival. The BMC has directed all wards to take this precautionary step to curb road dust during the winter and to keep Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI) in check.

The roads selected include the BKC Connector, the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR), the Eastern Express Highway, the Western Express Highway, the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Road, SV Road, Link Road, Carter Road and Sion-Mankhurd Road.

Under the drive, roads will be thoroughly cleaned and scraped. Dividers, medians, traffic islands, footpaths and kerbstones will also be cleaned. Dust and silt accumulated along the roadsides will be removed, and officials have been told to lift garbage quickly and dispose of it safely.

Mechanical power sweepers, garbage-lifting machines, JCBs, dumpers, misting machines and water-sprinkling tankers will be deployed as needed. Water sprinkling and misting will be done at dusty spots. The work will be carried out by the department's own staff and contract workers.

The BMC has asked assistant engineers of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department to work with their respective assistant commissioners to identify locations and prepare a daily action plan. Workers deployed on the job must be provided uniforms, protective gear, cleaning tools and necessary safety equipment.

To monitor the drive, assistant engineers, assistant health officers and other supervisory staff will keep a daily record. It will note which site was cleaned, what work was done, how many people were engaged, which machines were deployed and how much dust and garbage was removed.

Every ward must submit a daily report, accompanied by geo-tagged before-and-after photographs and video clips. The report will also give details of the availability of machines, the deployment schedule and any need for additional machines and staff.

The SWM department's zonal executive engineers and ward-level engineers will assess requirements beyond the existing contracts, coordinate in arranging additional resources and, where necessary, send proposals for approval. The SWM department's chief engineer will compile the progress of the drive through the operations team, including the areas covered, machines deployed, quantity collected and photo and video documentation.

The BMC's public relations officer has also been asked to share verified information on the drive's progress and results with the media from time to time, to keep citizens informed. Assistant commissioners and zonal deputy municipal commissioners have been asked to provide active guidance and monitor implementation so that results are visible on the ground.