Despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stepping up enforcement to curb rising air pollution levels in the city, violations continue unabated on the ground, raising questions about the effectiveness of implementation. Even though the civic body has issued stop-work notices to 53 construction sites for flouting pollution control norms, contractors and workers continue to ferry debris and raw materials in open trucks, openly violating mandatory guidelines.

As per BMC regulations, all vehicles carrying construction materials such as sand, cement, rubble and debris must be covered to prevent dust from dispersing into the air. However, ground-level checks across multiple parts of the city have revealed trucks plying with uncovered loads, allowing fine dust and construction waste to spill onto roads. Once airborne due to traffic and wind, this dust contributes significantly to particulate matter levels, further worsening the city’s already declining air quality.