Mumbai: The BMC is considering lifting the road trenching ban that was imposed on December 30. However, restrictions will remain in areas with poor air quality, where road digging will continue to be prohibited.

As part of its efforts to address air pollution, the civic body had halted granting fresh permissions for road digging in the city for the last two weeks. These measures were implemented to reduce dust and other pollutants that contribute to the deterioration of air quality.

The BMC has initiated a cement concreting project for 700 kms of roads in Mumbai, but road digging has been identified as a significant contributor to worsening air pollution. As part of efforts to combat this, the BMC had imposed a ban on ongoing construction work in Byculla and Borivali East.

In addition, the civic body also prohibited the digging of roads to help reduce the pollution caused by dust and other pollutants. Due to several measures implemented by the civic body over the past month, air quality has slightly improved in some areas. As a result, the BMC is now planning to lift the ban on road digging in those areas.

Bhushan Gagrani, the municipal commissioner, confirmed the developments, stating, "No new permissions will be granted in areas with poor air quality, but other areas may soon receive relaxation."

Meanwhile, between November 1 and December 31, 2024, 462 construction projects found violating regulations were issued stop work notices. Of these, 271 notices were revoked after the required dust mitigation measures were implemented at those sites.

The earlier ban on 33 construction projects in Byculla and 45 projects in Borivali East was lifted on January 6. However, the Colaba-Navy Nagar and Govandi-Shivaji Nagar areas have been under continuous monitoring, as the air quality index in these areas remained poor.