19 Concrete Plants Sealed in Mumbai Region: MPCB Takes Strict Action on Air Pollution Sources

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has launched a sweeping crackdown on polluting industrial units, ordering the closure of 19 ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The decision follows a detailed compliance survey that uncovered widespread violations of environmental guidelines, including absence of dust control systems, inadequate emission-management measures and failure to maintain mandatory statutory permissions. Officials said the action is part of a broader push to address worsening air quality as winter sets in.

In its statement, the MPCB confirmed that multiple enforcement teams have been deployed across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Panvel to assess environmental compliance. The board currently operates 32 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the MMR, including 14 run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Data from these stations is streamed in real time through the Central Pollution Control Board’s online dashboard and disseminated via media platforms, providing a clear picture of air quality trends in the region.

The board highlighted that 22 mobile air-quality monitoring vans have also been stationed across Maharashtra to track emissions in pollution hotspots, transport corridors and industrial belts. These vans have been playing a crucial role in examining particulate pollution in areas with a high concentration of RMC plants. The MPCB warned that units found in violation of its revised RMC operational guidelines—issued in October 2023—would face strict sanctions, including closures and financial penalties.

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During the recent field inspections, the MPCB ordered the shutdown of four RMC units in Mumbai’s Deonar and Govandi—Om Global Operation, SSG Ltd, Rambha Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Unity Construction Pvt Ltd. Three of these companies have deposited a bank guarantee of ₹5 lakh each as part of the compliance process. In addition, the board directed action against unauthorised metal furnaces operating in Sion and Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, instructing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to begin dismantling procedures for these illegal units.

The enforcement sweep extended into other parts of the MMR, where six plants each in Thane and Navi Mumbai and nine in Kalyan were found operating in violation of environmental norms. All 19 RMC plants have now been shut down, marking one of the largest pollution-control actions undertaken by the MPCB in recent years. Authorities also instructed Mumbai Port Trust to impose preventive restrictions in the Wadala–Mahim belt after monitoring exercises detected emissions from industrial activities.

Officials, including MPCB member secretary M. M. Devendra Singh, personally supervised several inspections to ensure accountability. The board reiterated that the campaign against non-compliant units will continue aggressively through the winter months, traditionally a period of poor air quality in Mumbai. The MPCB appealed to industries to cooperate with regulatory norms and stressed that protecting public health remains its top priority. RMC plants, which supply pre-mixed concrete for infrastructure and construction projects, will be subject to continued monitoring to ensure compliance going forward.

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