MPCB Directs BMC to Upgrade Beach Sanitation and Enforce Plastic Ban

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has instructed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to immediately overhaul sanitation operations across major Mumbai beaches, including Juhu, Versova, Dadar, and Gorai, in an effort to clean up the city's coastline.

Following a high-level review meeting convened to assess coastal hygiene, MPCB Chairperson Siddesh Kadam directed civic officials to conduct direct on-site inspections. Civic authorities have been asked to deploy additional cleanup crews and heavy machinery without delay to tackle deteriorating sanitary conditions along popular coastal stretches.

A central focus of the review was preventing marine waste from entering coastal ecosystems. Pollution board officials highlighted the persistent flow of garbage carried by municipal storm drains directly into the sea, urging the BMC to set up mechanisms to trap plastic debris inside drain networks before it reaches the water.

With festival preparations underway, the pollution control authority also mandated a strict crackdown on single-use plastics throughout the metropolitan region.

Civic enforcement teams will carry out targeted inspection drives against non-compliant vendors. The enforcement will specifically focus on implementing the ban on thermocol and artificial plastic flowers, which are commonly utilized for Ganesh Chaturthi decorations across the city.