Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting on Thursday to review the current pollution situation in the state. The meeting comes as the air quality dips to the 'Very Poor' category in Mumbai.
On Wednesday, Mumbai’s AQI stood at around 150, or "moderate", as per the official data.
Amid the worsening air pollution in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished four chimneys of gold and silver smelting units in the Kalbadevi and Zaveri Bazar areas in South Mumbai on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported, citing officials. As per BMC officials, the action was taken by their C-ward against the units as they were compounding the air pollution.
According to a statement issued by BMC on Wednesday, Eknath Shinde has directed the civic body to take measures to bring air pollution and dust under control in Mumbai. Acting on the directive, the BMC has started taking measures in all 24 civic wards, including cleaning nearly 650 kilometres of road with water for dust control, the statement said.
Meanwhile, in the national capital. the residents have found no respite from the worsening air quality, as it has continued to be in the 'Severe' category on Thursday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Anand Vihar at 432, in RK Puram at 453, in Punjabi Bagh at 444, and in ITO at 441.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said his government is making efforts to control the rising pollution in the state and appealed for united efforts to make it happen. Speaking at a function after administering the pledge of 'pollution-free Diwali' to schoolchildren at Mantralaya, Shinde said that rising pollution levels have become a cause for global concern.