Famous Street food lane, Khau Galli in Churchgate | Photo Credits: Vijay Gohil/ Image used for representative purpose only
After making it mandatory for the bakeries in Mumbai to use green fuels, the BMC is now inspecting the street vendors/outside eat-outs. After the inspection, the street food vendors who are found using coal will be served notice to convert into CNG/PNG. “The inspection report on outside eat-outs will be submitted by the Fire Brigade department to BMC’s Environment Department soon. The inspection would include if the street food vendors comply with all norms and hold mandatory permissions,” a civic officer said.
The action is taken in compliance with the Bombay High Court’s directions to the BMC to take immediate and effective measures to control air pollution in Mumbai. As per HC’s order, all the bakeries using coal and wood need to mandatorily convert to green fuels. Out of 815 legal bakeries in Mumbai, over 300 still use coal and wood, to whom notices are sent to convert to CNG/PNG within six months. The BMC will update the HC on its actions taken on immediate measures in the next hearing scheduled on February 13.
Highlights
BMC’s December 2023 report on street vendors:
Total street vendors- 1333
Operated on coal- 133
Civic wards with maximum street vendors using coal- K-W (Andheri, Vile Parle West), A (Colaba, Churchgate), F-N (Sion, Matunga)
