Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is once again under fire—this time from residents of Dadar—over what they call an ill-timed and unscientific attempt to curb dust pollution at Shivaji Park. The civic body has begun laying grass sheets in the area during the monsoon season, a move that residents say contradicts both expert advice and common sense. Accusing the civic body of “covering up” the issue rather than solving it, citizens are now considering legal action.
At the centre of the controversy is the decision to plant Bermuda grass as a dust mitigation measure, a solution proposed in a study by IIT-Bombay earlier this year. The report, commissioned after years of complaints about worsening air quality from walkers, joggers, and nearby residents, recommended soil-binding grass plantations. However, it stressed the importance of implementing this measure in the summer months to test the grass’s resilience and effectiveness under harsh conditions.
Instead, the BMC began work only this week—amid monsoon showers—by laying two test patches of grass using different techniques. The result, locals say, is a superficial trial that will yield skewed results in favour of the civic body. According to members of the Dadar Advanced Locality Management (ALM), the BMC is attempting to demonstrate success during the rainy season so it can submit a favourable report to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and declare the problem resolved.”The whole point was to see if the grass can survive Mumbai’s dry season and hold down the dust,” said an ALM member. “Doing this during the rains when grass naturally thrives defeats the purpose. This is simply an optics exercise.”
The issue is particularly pressing, given that PM10 levels at Shivaji Park have consistently surpassed permissible National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In February, the MPCB had directed the BMC to execute the plantation by summer and file a scientific report. With that deadline missed and execution now underway in the monsoon, residents view the initiative as more about saving face than protecting public health.Interestingly, BMC’s own internal report describes the optimal growth range for Bermuda grass as between 24 and 37°C with full sun exposure—conditions found during Mumbai’s pre-monsoon period, not during the rains. Despite this, the civic body insists that it has acted based on residents’ inputs and the urgency of the matter. Officials also say funds for the full-scale project are still pending clearance.
In response to the mounting criticism, local ward officials have asked residents to submit alternative solutions—though many argue that the civic body is already in possession of expert-backed recommendations, which it has simply chosen to implement selectively and belatedly.This episode lays bare a wider issue within urban governance—where quick fixes often replace long-term strategies, and where public consultations may be held, but their recommendations diluted. As Mumbai continues to grapple with worsening air quality and ecological degradation, residents are no longer content with cosmetic responses.
For Dadar, the fight isn’t just about grass—it’s about credibility, accountability, and the right to breathe clean air. Whether legal recourse changes the trajectory of the BMC’s actions remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: citizens are no longer willing to let science be sidelined in the name of civic showmanship.
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