Mumbai,DHNS: With Mumbai figuring in the list of cities with poor Air Quality Index (AQI), the Maharashtra government and the financial capital’s civic body have appealed to people for pollution-free Diwali celebrations and adherence to the norms of the Bombay High Court.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has geared up for a pollution-free Diwali.
Amid rising pollution, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a high-level meeting to tackle the issue.
On the other hand, BMC’s Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal has urged people to align with the Bombay High Court’s directives, urging residents to burst firecrackers strictly between 8 pm and 10 pm during Diwali.
“Considering the fact that air pollution has increased due to changes in weather patterns, both the State government and the BMC have taken stringent measures to control it. The Bombay High Court has also restricted the bursting of firecrackers only between 8 pm to 10 pm during the Diwali festival. We appeal to the citizens to follow these norms,” Dr Chahal said on Saturday in a statement.
“The festival of lights which denotes the message of moving from darkness to light. It also teaches us to be good and right. This Diwali, BMC administration is seeking special cooperation from the Citizens of Mumbai,” he said and requested citizens to opt for low-polluting crackers to reduce air and noise pollution.
“The air pollution due to firecrackers causes discomfort and ailments to children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and patients with diseases like asthma. Moreover, the environment is also adversely getting affected,” he said.
In a related development, the Bombay High Court on Friday extended the stay on transportation of construction debris across the city till 19 November and appointed a three-member committee to monitor air pollution in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
In MMR, which comprises the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban and large stretches of the Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts there are more than 10,000 construction sites.
Shinde had asked Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee to ensure that their metro and other infra sites do not generate dust.
(Published 11 November 2023, 04:13 IST)