BMC’s flying squad needs to up its game this season

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In an inspection conducted by the BMC's flying squad, officials found that the ongoing Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project works in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area were allegedly flouting several pollution-related norms, said our report.

Some of the norms being flouted, said officials, were: Water sprinkling/misting/spraying/fogging is not carried out during excavation and rock-breaking work. There was dust found on the project area road, and air pollution monitoring equipment was not installed as per the BMC's approved make. Even materials were kept uncovered by tarpaulin/green net. A metal sheet was missing from one side of the site. Notices had been given to the contractor. Reassurances have come in that lacunae will be plugged.

Yet, one has to stress that there must be repeated inspections and surprise checks to ensure that the lapses have been covered. These flying squads need to truly sprout wings and fly not just to this site but different spaces in the city if we have to take a proactive and aggressive approach to tackle air pollution.

The city is, in fact, ‘dug up' for various reasons. Redevelopment is a big one. Then, of course, there are some repairs taking place. We also have some public projects that are currently ongoing.

All this means that we are covered in a veritable dust blanket. Have we seen sprinklers, etc, everywhere? Not many citizens are witnesses to this watering/misting/fogging, so our civic authorities, along with others responsible, need to check.

Plug these loopholes and ensure that every contractor knows there are eyes on them and they cannot get away even by flouting just one or two rules. We need complete adherence and an effective way if we are going to lift the city from the current haze or smog it is enveloped in.