MPCB shuts four non-compliant concrete plants in Mumbai to check air pollution
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has shut down four ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants in Mumbai and initiated action against 37 units, recovering penalties of Rs 1.87 crore amid stepped-up measures to curb air pollution.
"Special flying squads will immediately begin inspections to verify whether prescribed conditions are being followed, and strict action, including closure, will be taken against violators," said M Devender Singh, member secretary, MPCB, referring to the action initiated against RMC plants contributing to air pollution.
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The MPCB has constituted four special inspection teams for Mumbai city and two for Navi Mumbai to conduct on-site inspections of RMC plants, following a review meeting chaired by MPCB chairman Siddhesh Kadam, according to a statement issued by Singh on Sunday.
The review focused on strengthening enforcement against units found flouting environmental norms, he said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation recently suspended the ongoing work related to the Bullet Train in the Bandra-Kurla Complex due to non-compliance with anti-air pollution norms.
According to the MPCB, inspections so far have led to the recovery of penalties amounting to Rs 1.87 crore from 37 RMC plants, and four establishments have been ordered to shut operations over violations linked to air pollution.
Kadam, meanwhile, stated that the MPCB, in coordination with the municipal corporation, had launched a focused enforcement drive to maintain air quality in the city.
"Appropriate steps will be taken to protect air quality and stringent action will be initiated wherever required," he said.
Singh said the board has been conducting a daily review of air quality, and flying squads were being deployed to ensure compliance with conditions imposed on establishments.
He added that inspections would be carried out without delay wherever deterioration in air quality was reported.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has 32 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, of which 14 are within Mumbai city. In addition, 22 mobile monitoring vans are available and being deployed to carry out immediate measurements in areas where air quality levels decline, the board said.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday castigated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for turning a "blind eye" towards air pollution in the city and for "not doing anything" to mitigate the problem.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad also questioned how the BMC had granted sanction to more than 125 construction projects over Rs 1,000 crore in a city like Mumbai, stating that the situation has now gone beyond the civic body's control.
The court had warned the BMC that it would issue orders restraining it from granting any further permissions for construction if the air pollution situation persists in the city.
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Killing of Tripura student in Dehradun a horrific 'hate crime': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday called the killing of a Tripura student in Uttarakhand's Dehradun a "horrific hate crime", as he accused the ruling BJP of "normalising" hate.
Twenty-four-year-old Angel Chakma from Nandannagar in the West Tripura district was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to an alleged racial slur on December 9 in Dehradun. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment on December 26.
In a post on X, Gandhi said hate does not appear overnight.
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"What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime," he said.
"Hate doesn't appear overnight. For years now, it is being fed daily -- especially to our youth -- through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it's being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP," he said.
The Leader of Opposition said India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse.
"We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become," he said.
"My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and Northeast. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters," Gandhi added.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured him that all persons responsible for the murder will be arrested.
Thousands of students under the banner of Tipra Indigenous Students' Federation on Sunday organised a candle march here seeking justice for Angel Chakma. The students covered a distance of around one kilometre from the North Gate of Ujjayanta Palace.
What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 29, 2025
Hate doesn’t appear overnight. For years now it is being fed daily - especially to our youth - through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it’s being normalised by the… pic.twitter.com/eDN7XiIGZ2
