Mumbai air pollution: Maha govt to sign MoU with Dubai-based company for cloud seeding in the city, says CM Eknath Shinde

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Mumbai air pollution: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Tuesday visited parts of the city to review steps taken to control dust and air pollution. Shinde said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been directed to do cloud seeding if required, news wire PTI reported.

The civic body has already approached a Dubai-based company, which has 100 per cent accuracy in cloud seeding and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with it, CM Shinde said, according to the report. "The government and the civic corporation will do whatever they can to reduce Mumbai's pollution. The civic body has been directed to do cloud seeding if required," he said.

Cloud seeding is an artificial technique aimed at enhancing the probability of rains, the report said.

CM Shinde was replying to queries by journalists at the Jogger's Park in suburban Bandra during his early morning inspection of various works undertaken in the city as a part of the dust and air pollution control measures.

Shinde reviewed various road and footpath cleaning and washing works undertaken as a part of dust control measures in some areas at Pedder Road, Bandra, Kalanagar, Milan Subway, Juhu and Santacruz.

The chief minister said he has directed the municipal commissioner to hire 1,000 tankers on rent and wash the city roads on alternate days. "If all the roads in Mumbai are washed on alternate days, dust will be greatly reduced and air pollution will also go down," he said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday said 584 km of roads in 24 civic wards of the metropolis are being regularly washed and cleaned using 121 tankers and other machines to control dust as part of efforts to curb air pollution.

Also read: Mumbai air pollution: 584 km of roads being washed, AQI at 117 in city

A release from the Chief Minister's Office said he also inspected advanced machines used for the removal of dust on roadsides as well as fogger machines, and also gave necessary instructions to the civic personnel.

BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde along with other senior civic officials accompanied the CM during this review visit in the morning. (With inputs from PTI)