Piyush Goyal calls for precast, steel construction to curb rising dust pollution in Mumbai

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday called for promoting precast and steel construction methods to tackle rising dust pollution linked to building activities in Mumbai, especially as the city heads into the January 15 municipal corporation elections. Goyal made the remarks while addressing businessmen and housing society representatives at the Adarsh Complex in the Malad West suburb of North Mumbai.

Goyal noted that dust from conventional reinforced concrete (RC) mixing and on‑site construction is a significant contributor to Mumbai’s air pollution , which has at times pushed the city’s air quality toward hazardous levels. Recent reports have shown that average Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in parts of Mumbai have frequently climbed above safe thresholds, with thick smog and worsening respiratory discomfort for residents.

“All over the world, you don’t see RC mixers. You see steel and precast structures. Maybe they are a bit expensive, but we could discuss giving concessions and incentives for this,” Goyal said, adding that he plans to explore the idea with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make alternative building technologies more attractive to developers.

Goyal emphasized that rather than imposing strict bans on polluting construction practices, a collaborative approach with builders to voluntarily adopt cleaner methods such as precast and steel should be pursued. He highlighted that precast construction involves off‑site fabrication of components, which can reduce on‑site dust and emissions and aligns with policies that some state officials are already exploring to cut pollution from real estate projects.

To visibly reduce dust in urban neighborhoods, Goyal also called for relocating heavy RC mixers beyond city limits , noting that he has already facilitated the removal of four to five such machines from his own parliamentary constituency in North Mumbai.

Beyond construction pollution, the minister stressed the need to allocate public grounds specifically for religious, cultural, and sports events to better manage crowding and space use in residential areas. He said his focus remained on local civic issues given the ongoing municipal elections, deliberately avoiding international topics despite recent diplomatic engagements, including close progress on the European Union‑India Free Trade Agreement during his visit to Brussels.