Dust Off: 19 Sites Shut for Pollution
TLDR: NMMC slapped stop-work notices on 19 construction sites for ignoring pollution rules. Dust control? More like dust explosion.
The air in Navi Mumbai is thick enough to chew, and NMMC is (finally) doing something about it. Nineteen construction sites across the city just got slapped with stop-work notices. Their crime? Ignoring basic dust control measures.
According to NMMC officials (the names of whom remain shrouded in mystery), these sites were found to be major contributors to the city's increasingly awful air quality. Think uncovered construction materials, lack of water sprinkling, and generally not giving a damn. Sector 17 in Vashi and the Kharghar node appear to be repeat offenders.
"We've been warning them for months," said an NMMC spokesperson, probably while wheezing from the smog. The crackdown follows a series of complaints from residents who are tired of their lungs turning into charcoal filters. The question now is, will these shutdowns actually change anything, or will it just be back to business as usual once the heat dies down? Expect more such drives across nodes like Nerul and Belapur.
Meanwhile, residents are advised to invest in quality air purifiers. Or maybe just move to Lonavala.