MUMBAI: Immediately stopping all construction activities, the entry of trucks and heavy vehicles in Mumbai, shutting polluting installations, and enforcing odd and even scheme for private vehicles are the top four emergency actions that have been suggested under the response plan if the city's air quality index with PM2.5 and 10 persists with 300ug/m3 or 500ug/m3 levels respectively for 48 hours which is considered as a very severe pollution.
Meanwhile, in the wake of technology providers being requested by industries and BMC to install pollution control devices at selected places in the city to improve air quality, the MPCB has set up an evaluation committee with private industries, technology providers, MPCB and BMC officers as the members and representatives. The committee will review and assess the effectiveness of the techniques to make informed decisions on their adaptations, said MPCB member secretary Avinash Dhakne in a letter issued to various government offices. The committee will not only evaluate but also compare the techniques on various criteria such as efficiency, cost effectiveness, environmental impact, and will develop a standard evaluation framework besides timely checking their performances and suggesting remedies.
