Eknath Shinde Says Artificial Rain Could Help Control Mumbai Air Pollution

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday morning visited parts of Mumbai to review steps taken to control dust and air pollution and said the city civic body has been directed to do cloud seeding if required.

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, Shinde said.

"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.

The CM was replying to queries by mediapersons 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.

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

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.

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. PTI KK GK

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)