Smog reduces visibility in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex

A heavy layer of smog and dust engulfed Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Saturday morning, resulting in reduced visibility and hazy conditions across the area.

Despite the localized smog, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported an upward trend in air quality. As of October 22, Mumbai recorded 231 days in the ‘Good’ and ‘Satisfactory’ Air Quality Index (AQI) categories, an increase from 218 days in 2025 and 185 days in 2023. Data from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change indicates that PM10 concentrations declined by approximately 48 per cent between 2017-18 and 2025-26.

To combat pollution, the BMC has implemented several mitigation strategies, including road cleaning and strict monitoring of construction and demolition waste. The civic body has issued 28-point guidelines for construction sites and deployed 76 ward-level mitigation squads to conduct surprise inspections. Non-compliance may result in enforcement actions such as stop-work notices or the sealing of sites. Additionally, sensor-based air-quality monitors are now mandatory at construction sites, with 3,166 sites having already installed them.