India, Jan. 8 -- In a major crackdown on rising air pollution, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) on Wednesday ordered the immediate closure of 19 construction sites and issued notices to 42 others for violating environmental safety norms. The move follows the city's air quality index (AQI) breaching the 200-mark in several areas despite the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) in late November.

On Wednesday, municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde stated that the civic body is strictly enforcing the 27-point air pollution control guidelines issued in 2024. To ensure ground-level implementation, flying squads comprising assistant commissioners, civil engineers, and sanitation inspectors have been deployed across...