Mumbai, October 22 Amid concerns over worsening air quality in Mumbai, the civic body on Thursday said the city has recorded a total of 231 days of either “good” or “satisfactory” level air quality index (AQI) so far in 2026 as compared with 222 days in entire 2025.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s Additional Commissioner Avinash Dhakne said in a press conference here that air quality is categorised as “good” and “satisfactory” when the average AQI remains below 100.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards, Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) categories are defined as 0-50 (good) and 51-100 (satisfactory).
Dhakne said the state-appointed high-powered committee has also directed that the AQI be maintained below 100.
“This year, good and satisfactory air quality days have increased by a few days,” he said, adding that Mumbai’s air quality starts deteriorating after the monsoon, while the city experiences its best air quality during the rainy season.
Highlighting that several factors, including marine pollution, affect Mumbai’s air quality, the official said the city recorded good or satisfactory air quality on 222 days in 2025 and 231 days so far this year. They are hopeful that the number will exceed 235 by the end of the year, he added.
Dhakne also claimed that Mumbai’s AQI crossed 200 only once in 2025.
In a statement issued after the press conference, the BMC said it had issued a 28-point set of guidelines to mitigate air pollution at construction sites and deployed 76 ward-level squads to conduct random and surprise inspections. Each squad carries out at least two inspections of construction sites daily and follows up on compliance at identified pollution hotspots.
Non-compliance with the guidelines can invite enforcement action, including show-cause notices, stop-work notices and sealing of sites, supported by site-specific inspection reports, photographs and videography, the press note said.
The guidelines also require vehicles carrying construction material and debris to be fully covered, with their wheels washed before they enter public roads. The movement and authorised disposal of construction and demolition waste are tracked through the Mumbai Debris Control and Tracking System.
Dhakne said the civic body had made the installation of sensor-based air quality monitors mandatory at construction sites. A total of 3,166 sites have installed such monitors and integrated them with a central dashboard, through which the BMC monitors pollution levels.
The BMC is undertaking deep cleaning of roads to remove accumulated dust and deploying 29 multipurpose vehicles for routine sweeping, Dhakne said.
According to officials, the civic body is also taking measures to reduce emissions from bakeries, which account for around 3.5 per cent of Mumbai’s particulate matter emissions.
Of the 593 bakeries in the city, 209 were already using cleaner fuels, while another 175 have shifted to them. Sixty-nine bakeries are in the process of conversion, 87 remain non-compliant and eight have shut down, a senior civic official said.
Dhakne said that they have directed the closure of remaining bakeries that still continue to use firewood as fuel, as the majority of the bakeries have shifted to clean fuel.
He said the civic body was also in the process of installing air pollution control devices at 10 crematoria and maintaining surveillance at identified open-burning hotspots.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the BMC has issued the Winter Air Pollution Mitigation and Enforcement Action Plan 2026, covering measures to tackle open burning, violations at construction sites, road dust and polluting vehicles.
The guidelines also prohibit the burning of firewood and similar fuels at construction sites for cooking or heating. Developers and contractors have been directed to arrange food for workers and provide electric heaters for security guards and labourers to prevent smoke emissions, according to the guidelines.
(PTI News)
