India, Dec. 4 -- A total 19 Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants, crucial to the widespread construction activity currently underway in Mumbai and surrounding areas, have been shut to keep air pollution in check.

The action has been taken by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), which operates 32 air quality monitoring stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Of these, 14 are in Mumbai and 18 in satellite townships such as Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Panvel.

The MPCB, which had issued revised guidelines for RMC plants across the state in October, is conducting a survey of compliance. As a result, violations were detected and, accordingly, four RMC plants in the Deonar-Govandi area have been shut. Also shut are eight in Thane, ...