Mumbai Deploys Climate Officials in Ward Squads as BMC Warns Metro 7A Over Dust Violations

Overview

• BMC has reactivated five‑member ward‑level squads across all 24 wards, now including a Climate Change Department official and VTMS‑tracked vehicles for daily construction checks.
• The city’s AQI reached 168 on Friday evening after the monsoon, with construction activity and heavy traffic identified as major contributors.
• A show‑cause notice to MMRDA and contractor J. Kumar for Metro Line 7A cites absent 25‑foot perimeter sheeting, no tyre‑wash facilities, dusty access roads, and missing sensors with public displays.
• A BMC letter records no air‑quality monitoring system at the Andheri site and orders stronger dust‑control measures, with noncompliance within one to two weeks risking a stop‑work order.
• Developers report four‑week waits to install mandated sensors due to a limited pool of 15–18 BMC‑shortlisted vendors, with roughly 500 sensors installed citywide and about 250 integrated, as residents near the Elphinstone Bridge report heavy dust and health discomfort.