NAVI MUMBAI, Nov. 30 -- With a dense winter haze pushing pollution levels upward across the satellite city, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has intensified its crackdown on dust-generating construction activity, issuing notices to 79 developers and expanding dust-suppression and deep-cleaning operations across arterial corridors, industrial belts and rapidly developing nodes. Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) dashboards have, over the past week, shown air quality dipping sharply across Navi Mumbai, with night-time readings in parts of Rabale and Ghansoli touching the 'Very Poor' range and one Rabale monitor peaking around AQI 280. Over the past few days, Ghansoli, Mahape, Airoli and Rabale have repeatedly slipped into the 'Unhealthy' band, with PM2.5 levels crossing 100 ug/m3 and citywide readings hovering between AQI 145 and 165. Civic officials said these conditions had made immediate citywide compliance essential. The latest enforcement action follows extensive inspections launched in October under the Bombay high court's December 2023 directive mandating strict adherence to dust- and noise-control measures at all construction sites in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Municipal Commissioner Kailas Shinde, who reviewed the situation with civic officials, reiterated that the corporation would continue to enforce the SOP issued on August 1, 2024 without exception. "Citizens are already suffering from smog," he said. "Developers and businesses must act responsibly. Pollution control is not optional, it is mandatory." According to civic officials, 79 notices were issued after a citywide inspection sweep to verify whether pollution-control measures were being strictly and effectively implemented. Violations included non-functional fogging and sprinkler systems, inadequate barricading, missing wheel-wash facilities, uncovered material stacks and transportation of debris in open vehicles. Developers have been asked to rectify violations within eight days, failing which their construction may be halted for up to one week. Ward-level teams comprising engineers, health inspectors and sanitation staff are conducting daily surprise visits across major nodes. These inspections cover construction sites, ready-mix concrete plants, stone quarries and commercial kitchens using coal-fired tandoors. Senior NMMC officials have also begun personal field inspections at larger township projects in Nerul, Kharghar, Airoli and Ghansoli-an approach used in past years during peak smog conditions to accelerate compliance at high-impact sites. Parallel to the notices, the civic body has intensified dust-control and road-cleaning operations across all eight wards. Dust-suppression vehicles procured under the National Clean Air Programme are operating along major pollution-prone corridors-including Thane-Belapur Road and the Rabale-Mahape MIDC belt-spraying fine mist to reduce resuspended particles. Mechanical road sweepers and high-pressure jet-spray machines have also been deployed to clear accumulated silt from pavements, and service lanes in Vashi, Nerul, Turbhe, Belapur and other nodes. Civic officials said these cycles were being repeated more frequently during the winter months, when loose soil and settled dust contribute significantly to elevated PM2.5 levels. Sector observers noted that Navi Mumbai's winter pollution load is shaped by a combination of construction activity, industrial emissions and heavy traffic along the Thane-Belapur industrial corridor. Historically, nodes near the logistics and manufacturing belt-Rabale, Mahape and Pawne-have recorded sharper spikes during the season. "Our engineers are visiting sites," Shinde said. "Where fogging, barricading or wheel-wash systems are missing, notices are issued immediately. Developers must comply or face closure."...