A blanket ban on construction sites will not improve Mumbai’s air quality, experts said during a discussion on Thursday, emphasizing the need for effective Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste management to address the city’s growing air pollution crisis. Recently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) imposed a ban on construction in areas like Borivali East and Byculla, but Dr. Rakesh Kumar, president of the Society for Indoor Environment, argued that this approach fails to tackle the root causes of pollution.
“While construction activities vary, only a few tasks significantly contribute to dust pollution,” Dr. Kumar explained. He pointed out that halting local construction might reduce pollution slightly, but the real problem lies in how materials are transported, which affects a large area. He suggested targeted measures, like spraying water on dusty materials, to mitigate the pollution caused by construction.
Dr. Lancelot Pinto, a consultant pulmonologist, highlighted a study showing that Mumbai’s average AQI of 120 is equivalent to inhaling six cigarettes a day. Meanwhile, Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner for solid waste management, noted that C&D waste, which accounts for a significant portion of Mumbai’s waste, needs better management. Despite challenges, the BMC plans to expand its capacity to manage C&D waste.
