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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Some glitches can happen at any large event: Tharoor praises AI Summit
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday praised the AI Impact Summit, saying the first couple of days had gone "extremely well" and "some glitches" can happen at any "large event".
He said what has been impressive is the attendance of presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders who have come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in artificial intelligence development.
While noting that the first couple of days went “extremely well” at the summit, Tharoor said there have been “some glitches” but such issues can happen at big events.
His remarks come a day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi dubbed the ongoing AI Summit in Delhi a "disorganised PR spectacle" and alleged that Chinese products were being showcased there.
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior party leaders have also criticised the event, saying alleged mismanagement has resulted in "embarrassment" for the country.
Responding to a reporter's question after the launch event of his new book on Narayana Guru, Tharoor said, "Though I have not had the chance to go to the summit, I am speaking there tomorrow. From what I understand, these first couple of days have gone extremely well. There have been some glitches, some organisational things, these things happen in a large event."
"But by and large what has been impressive is the attendance... a number of presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders are here, and they've come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in AI development, where the impact upon society would be the principle," Tharoor said.
"Preoccupation in India has clearly led the drive in this area," he added.
Asked about French President Emanuel Macron's remarks about procurement of Rafale jets by India and the Make in India component of the deal, Tharoor said as far as the French Rafale is concerned, parts of it are being manufactured in India.
That is a very important aspect of the deal because it is part of strengthening defence, but also increasing our self-reliance in the defence sector, he said.
"Defence is important for India not because we want to go to war, but because we don't want others to think that we are so weak that they can be tempted to go to war. It is a defensive defence literally, and that is what we are working for and I support the government on that,” he said.
On the upcoming film Kerala Story 2, Tharoor said the first film, Kerala Story, was a “hate-mongering film”.
“They were saying that thousands of people were converted, which is not true. I think there were around 30 such cases over a number of years. Ours is a very big country. If a case occurs here and there, it doesn't mean you should turn it into a big story and use it as propaganda,” Tharoor said.
“In our childhood, films like Amar Akbar Antony used to get entertainment tax exemptions,” he added.
