In response to worsening air quality, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has announced a ban on the establishment of new ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants within the municipal corporation limits of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Existing plants are required to implement anti-dust measures and conduct water sprinkling on vehicle tyres over the next three months.

Failure to comply with these new regulations could result in the seizure of bank guarantee deposits and potential plant closures, MPCB officials warned.

MPCB’s directives also stipulate that new captive RMC plants outside municipal areas must allocate at least 10% of their land for plant construction and enclose the site with tin or similar materials. Non-compliance will be met with a bank guarantee of Rs 10 lakh.

New commercial RMC plants must maintain a 500-meter buffer zone from populated areas and ensure compliance with environmental standards. All plants must also monitor air quality at their boundaries.

MPCB has stressed the importance of collaborating with civic authorities in MMR to curb pollution and maintain air quality standards.