Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday fixed the timing of bursting firecrackers from 7pm to 10pm. NMC has taken a few steps to control the rising air pollution, said municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhary after chairing a meeting convened by civic body.Earlier, commissioner of police Amitesh Kumar had fixed the timing to burst firecrackers for two hours i.e.from 8pm to 10pm. NMCs nodal officer of air quality management department Shweta Banerjee issued directives regarding the time window to burst crackers in accordance with the HC order. To implement the timings, NMC andNagpur city police will launch a joint drive to crack a whip against violators, added Chaudhary.Guidelines have also been issued for installing iron sheets and spraying water at construction sites to prevent dust rising with the wind, aggravating the situation. The guidelines also focused on the need for regular water spraying at places where construction of roads, flyovers is under way in the city.The order states that construction debris dumped at construction sites or elsewhere should be fully covered with sheets to prevent dust being whipped up with the wind. The construction debris or material should also be fully covered while being transported to and from construction sites. Also, ready mix concrete and construction materials should be transported covered in sheets, NMCs diktat stated. Burning of garbage has also been prohibited everywhere in the city, with NMC promising punitive action. Instructions have been given to all 10 zone officials to ensure garbage is not burnt anywhere, it said.NMCs transport department has been directed to check the pollution under control certificates of its Aapli Bus fleet. Buses without the mandatory PUC should be kept off the roads, directed the civic chief, urging other government departments also not to ply polluting vehicles.We also published the following articles recentlyConstruction debris dumped close to beachLocals in Calangute, Goa have accused a neighbouring property owner of dumping construction debris on a beachside property belonging to the tourism department. The land is just 50m from the high-tide line and the dumping has violated Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. Despite complaints being made to the authorities, the illegal activity is ongoing. The dumping has caused damage to the beach vegetation and sand dunes, and the debris includes glass pieces and broken floor tiles, posing a danger to pedestrians. The Calangute constituency forum has called for action to be taken.Nearly 1,000 notices hand-delivered by BMC at construction sites in cityThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken action against gold and silver smelting units in south Mumbai for releasing untreated gases through chimneys, which pose a health risk. Foundries in Kurla that melt metal and alloys were also targeted. The air quality in Chembur, BKC, and Colaba has been recorded as poor, with an overall moderate air quality index (AQI) for the city. The BMC has removed chimneys from smelting units and issued stop work notices to ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants for not following pollution mitigation measures. The BMC has also informed thousands of construction sites to comply with pollution control measures.Mumbai Air Pollution: HC halts transport of debris, sets time limit for crackersThe Bombay High Court has implemented several measures to tackle air pollution in Mumbai and the surrounding region before Diwali. These measures include halting the transportation of debris to and from construction sites, curtailing cracker bursting during the festival, and holding BMC officers personally responsible for any lapses in implementing mitigation norms. Firecrackers will only be allowed to be burst between 7pm and 10pm on Diwali day. The court emphasized the need for drastic action to improve air quality and prevent further deterioration.

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