Severe Smog Triggers Emergency in Mumbai; City Considers Stricter Anti-Pollution Measures

Mumbai Battles Severe Smog, Considers Tougher Pollution Controls.

Mumbai woke up under a thick haze this week as air quality plunged to “severe” levels across multiple neighbourhoods, pushing the city to consider activating its most stringent pollution-control measures under GRAP-4, similar to Delhi.

According to , air-quality monitors in areas like Mazgaon, Deonar, Malad, Borivali East, Andheri East (Chakala), Navy Nagar, Powai, and Mulund have recorded “very poor” to “severe” pollution levels. Residents reported breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and reduced visibility.

Civic officials say local factors are driving the surge. “In Mazgaon, bakeries are contributing to air pollution. At Deonar, open garbage burning is a major factor,” an official told Indian Express. Authorities have begun implementing localized interventions and deploying staff to monitor affected areas.

Emergency Measures
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed several measures to curb pollution, including:

• Restricting dust-generating construction and demolition activities
• Enforcing bans on garbage and waste burning in open spaces
• Tightening vehicle emissions checks and PUC compliance
• Frequent water-sprinkling and mechanised road sweeping to suppress dust

Between November 28 and 30, BMC launched a citywide dust-control drive, focusing on busy corridors and construction-heavy zones. Stop-work orders have been issued to dozens of construction sites, while ward-level teams and “flying squads” monitor compliance.

Political Response
The crisis has also sparked political debate. Mumbai Congress unveiled the ‘Mumbai Clean Air Action Plan,’ advocating recognition of clean air as a fundamental right, continuous monitoring of polluting activities, planting one million trees, and enforcing stricter pollution norms for vehicles, industries, and construction sites.

Former Maharashtra minister Varsha Gaikwad criticized the state government on X, blaming unchecked construction and pro-contractor policies for the city’s worsening pollution. She said Mumbai is “choking under smog and the BJP’s contractor raj,” emphasizing that every resident has a right to breathe clean air.