When smog started sinking over parts of Mumbai, the officials didn’t wait. The Graded Response Action Plan Stage 4, which is commonly known as GRAP-4. It has been imposed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in several neighbourhoods that are grappling with dangerously bad air. The areas such as Mazgaon, Malad, Deonar, Borivali East, Andheri East’s Chakala, Navy Nagar, Powai and Mulund are now under strict curbs.
What’s being clamped down on
According to The Hindustan Times, under GRAP-4, the construction and all dust-generating activities have been stopped in all the worst-affected zones. The BMC’s “flying squads” include the roaming enforcement teams. These teams have already inspected 70 sites and have issued stop-work orders at 53 for violating pollution-control norms. The ready mix concrete plants and small but pollution-heavy units like marble-cutting or old-style bakeries have been mandated to either adopt cleaner practices or shut down.
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The authorities have put stricter checks on waste handling and burning: 450 junior supervisors from BMC’s waste-management department. They are authorised to impose fines on anyone dumping debris on roads or burning garbage and plastic.
What’s still on and how Mumbai differs from Delhi
Despite GRAP-4 being in place, Mumbai has avoided some of the stricter restrictions that cities like Delhi have adopted. There is no city-wide ban on private vehicles, no odd–even scheme, and at present, schools remain open.
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The plan’s implementation looks to be targeted rather than blanket which as only the worst-affected wards are under GRAP-4 curbs. The authorities will continue to engage dust-control measures like road-cleaning and mechanised water sprinkling to keep pollution from deteriorating further.
GRAP-4 is a tactical move. It is a way to choke off pollution at its sources rather than disrupt everyday life across the board. They have been suspending construction and curbing industrial dust and emissions. The civic authorities are trying to buy the city a breathing space.
