The Union Ministry of Finance has given its nod for releasing funds amounting Rs. 21 crore for the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) towards committed funding to improve the air quality of the twin-city. The funding has been approved on the virtue of recommendations by the 15th finance commission.

Based on the funding, the civic administration has chalked out an elaborate roadmap to ensure ambient air quality standards in the twin-city. In the first phase of the action plan, the civic administration will install real time air quality index boards at ten strategic locations across the twin-city.

Armed with built-in air monitoring units, the boards will display the level of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust, particulate matter and other types of pollutants.

"Apart from monitoring and evaluating the quality of air, we are also planning to install solar panels in all municipal properties, procuring e-vehicles and setting up charging stations across the twin-city. Tree plantation drives are already undertaken at regular intervals to promote greenery and reduce air pollution. " said deputy municipal commissioner-Sanjay Shinde.

The MBMC has also geared up to commission a state of the art Air Seperation Unit (ASU) under aegis of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and guidance from their Mumbai cunterparts.

So far the twin-city was devoid of an effective air monitoring mechanism as the civic administration had remained apathetic towards the problem of air pollution. Air monitoring work which outsourced to private agencies had been a cosmetic affair.

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