MUMBAI, Jan. 21 -- The civic administration on Monday told the Bombay High Court it issued 409 show cause notices and 284 stop work notices between December 29, 2025, and January 13, 2026, where construction sites were found to be non-compliant with guidelines, as part of an intensified enforcement drive to curb worsening air pollution in Mumbai. The court was hearing a suo-motu public interest litigation (PIL) taken up in 2023 and a bunch of intervention applications filed recently after the air quality index (AQI) dropped substantially. On December 24, 2025, a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad reprimanded the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for turning a blind eye towards worsening air pollution in the city. In an affidavit filed by the BMC on Monday, Avinash Hindurao Kate, chief engineer (environment and climate change), said the civic body has operationalised an action plan, which necessitates immediate action against repetitive, non-complying sites, inspections and submission of reports on the daily action taken, including intensification of road cleaning and washing. In order to undertake measurable enforcement actions to strengthen air pollution mitigation across Mumbai, the BMC published a public appeal on December 28, 2025, urging citizens and stakeholders to follow dust-control measures, avoid open burning, and cooperate with enforcement actions. Stating that 94 ward-level squads are operational across Mumbai for enforcement of air-pollution mitigation measures at construction sites, the affidavit says that each squad has been mandated to inspect a minimum of two construction sites per day within their respective jurisdiction. Further, a central monitoring system and dashboard has been operationalised to enable real-time aggregation, visualisation, and monitoring of air-quality data generated from construction-site sensors. As per the Development Planning Department's records, there are a total 1,954 ongoing construction sites at present, and 1,292 sensor-based air quality monitor installations have been completed at these sites. Out of this, 110 installations are underway. Additionally, a deep-cleaning drive has been initiated by the BMC, which includes activities like, sweeping, brushing, and high-pressure water jet cleaning of roads, footpaths, and areas under parked vehicles and junction boxes. The affidavit highlighted that 20 water tankers of 5,000-litre capacity, 16 water tankers of 9,000-litre capacity and 5 tankers of 10,000-litre capacity were deployed for the drive. After December 29, 2025, BMC has intensified the drive across and has "substantially increased the number of tankers with 72 water tankers of 5,000-litre capacity and 54 tankers of 9,000-litre capacity used to suppress dust and reduce resuspension of particulate matter. The affidavit said that of the 593 bakeries within the BMC limits, 239 bakeries were operating on cleaner fuels prior to issuance of the first notice in November 2024. After the notices granted a year for transition to clean energy, 69 bakeries are in the process of conversion to cleaner fuel, and 6 of them have voluntarily ceased operations. 170 bakeries are yet to be converted, and enforcement action is being taken by ward health officers. It clarified that the AQI data between 2022 to 2025 shows a consistent seasonal pattern, with higher pollution levels from November to March, and lower levels during the monsoon. "Directions were issued to strengthen joint enforcement actions, including intensified checks on commercial vehicles at Mumbai entry/exit points and internal roads, enforcement against overloading and uncovered C&D vehicles, compliance with PUC norms and age restrictions on diesel vehicles, strengthening vehicle-washing facilities at construction sites and RMC plants, prevention of road-dust re-suspension and open burning, and enhanced enforcement for the ensuing period", the affidavit said. The BMC concluded that it has been interacting with stakeholders and is aware of the problems posed by air pollution and has taken every possible measure, as indicated....