Overview

• Municipal officials say notices will go to about 297 of the city’s 592 bakeries that still use wood or coal ovens, with operations allowed to resume only after switching to cleaner fuel.
• Recipients will get a showcause or stop-work notice with roughly 30 days to explain or comply, after which closures and prosecution may follow for non-compliance.
• Civic data show 209 bakeries operate on cleaner fuels, 37 are in the process of converting, and only modest progress has been recorded since notices began last year.
• Relief measures have seen little uptake, with Mahanagar Gas waiving security deposits and only two bakeries applying for a 35% subsidy under the PMFME scheme, alongside proposed Fire NOC waivers.
• Owners of small and heritage units cite conversion costs estimated at Rs 10–20 lakh, limited PNG access, structural incompatibility of dome bhattis with electric ovens, and cylinder storage rules as key hurdles.