In an effort to fight the city's deteriorating air quality, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has released new regulations to control Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) factories in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The Bombay High Court (HC) filed a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against declining air quality, prompting the ruling.
While the previous regulations, which were announced in November 2016, would still be applicable throughout Maharashtra, the new guidelines, which were notified on November 27, 2024, are exclusive to the MMR region. Member Secretary Dr. Avinash Dhakne actively supported this endeavour, which was led by MPCB Chairman Siddhesh Kadam, who underlined the urgency of the situation.
Kadam said that by working with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and taking prompt action against polluters, we are issuing appropriate directives and taking action to control the air pollution that is increasing in Mumbai city due to development projects, the number of vehicles, and changes in the atmosphere. The air quality would be maintained to a satisfactory level, he stated.
Due to dust emissions during operation, RMC plants - which are essential to urbanization - have been found to be major sources of air pollution. The standards provide strict siting requirements and pollution control strategies for both commercial and captive RMC facilities in order to solve this.
New facilities for captive plants must have a minimum project area of 20,000 square meters, of which 2,000 square meters must be set aside for the plant. To ensure compliance, existing plants must completely enclose their operations within three months and furnish a bank guarantee of INR 10 lakh. Additionally, these plants have to be disassembled within a month of 70% of the project being finished.
Commercial plants must maintain a 500-meter buffer from major roads, schools, hospitals, and human habitations, while new units outside of municipal boundaries must have MPCB clearance. In addition, current commercial units need to provide a bank guarantee of INR 25 lakh and completely enclose their operations within three months.
Dust containment system installation, tree planting, water sprinkling, and covering all transfer sites are required actions. Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) levels in the ambient air must be monitored by plants, and they must make sure that emissions stay within allowed limits. For cars transporting RMC, further measures are needed, such as GPS tracking and automated tyre washing.
Dr. Dhakne said that they are providing establishments with the necessary instructions to reduce air pollution generated by large-scale constructions, infrastructure works, and ready-mix plants.
To improve the quality of the air in Mumbai and the surrounding areas, the MPCB has instructed its regional offices to make sure that the standards are followed and to take strong action against non-compliance.
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