Mumbai Deploys GRAP-4 Amid Declining Air Quality Levels — What It Means for Residents

The rising levels of pollution in Mumbai have triggered the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to deploy the Stage-4 of Graded Response Action Plan in the most affected areas including Mazgaon, Deonar, Malad, Borivali East, Chakala-Andheri East, Navy Nagar, Powai and Mulund.

Parts of the city that fall into the "very poor" and "severe" AQI ranges are subject to the most recent restrictions.

The GRAP enforced in Mumbai categorises air quality into six levels, with an AQI of 0–50 indicating ‘good’, 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.

Do’s and Don’ts Under GRAP-4

The BMC has prohibited construction and other dust-generating activities in several high AQI zones mentioned above. Over 50 construction sites have received stop-work notices, while small industries such as bakeries and marble-cutting units have been instructed to adopt cleaner technologies or face penalties, reported Economic Times.

The civic body has also deployed flying squads across all wards. So far, 53 out of 70 inspected sites have been issued notices. These teams, comprise of engineers, police personnel and GPS-tracked vehicles, are monitoring emissions and ensuring compliance with pollution control rule.