Mumbai: To control the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani chaired the fifth meeting of the Coordination Committee for Air Pollution Control on Tuesday. Gagrani instructed all government authorities including the Municipal Corporations in the MMR, Police and other concerned authorities to take strict measures to control air pollution.

‘The dropping AQI in Mumbai and MMR is a serious issue. It is crucial to control the rising air pollution to give citizens a quality of life. The civic bodies in the MMR, Police and related agencies should prioritise air pollution control and take stringent measures,” Gagrani said in the meeting.

Gagrani also directed the committee members to identify the factors that are responsible for air pollution and give close attention within a 5-kilometre radius of that area where the AQI is poor. Air pollution control is the collective responsibility of all the agencies, he said.

The Coordination Committee for Air Pollution Control was formed after the Bombay High Court’s order to control air pollution in MMR. The agencies that are members of the committee include: MMRDA, MHADA, CIDCO, Traffic Police, all civic bodies in MMR, representatives from NEERI, ICT and Dean of JJ hospital among others.