"New initiatives being taken to control air pollution," says Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 9 (ANI): In view of the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai, a lot of new initiatives are being taken by the corporation to reduce air pollution, said Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Wednesday.
"The pollution level is above what is prescribed (in Mumbai). And that's why a lot of new initiatives are being taken by the corporation. One of them is cleaning up the roads with water. The second is sprinkling water on construction sites. Fogging guns, which spray water into the air, are also being used to reduce air pollution," Kesarkar told ANI.
He said that some filters are being installed and checked at different locations, and which technologies are found to be the best will be implemented in Mumbai.
"There are certain filters that are being installed at the junctions and certain filters that are being installed in gardens and hospitals. So once these trials are over, whichever technologies are found to be the best will be implemented in Mumbai. We are in that process, and very strict implementation is being carried out by the Mumbai Corporation," the Maharashtra Minister said.
"Wherever the plywood and other material, which is hazardous, is being burned in bakeries and cellular prices, action is being taken against them. There were certain areas where the work of using acid for manufacturing gold ornaments was going on, and action was being taken against them. It is our duty to see that Mumbai people get pure air; it should be non-polluted," he added.
The air quality in Mumbai continued to remain in the 'moderate' category on Wednesday.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 149 at noon, according to data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India.
Many areas in the city dipped to 'poor' and 'very poor' air quality.
The state pollution control metre, installed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), reflected the air quality of Mumbai as 'very poor' at 7 am. A health alert was also issued in the CST area due to the deteriorating air quality.
The air quality index varied in different areas of Mumbai. In the Bandra Kurla Complex, the air quality was recorded in a 'moderate' category, with an AQI of 200 at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, Colaba and Borivali East reported'moderate' air quality with an AQI of 151 and 141, respectively. (ANI)