As Mumbaikars continue to gasp for breath amid declining air quality and rising dust pollution, a new concern has surfaced. Are the vacuum-based vehicle-mounted litter-picker machines deployed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to suck up roadside trash adding to pollution instead of reducing it? A mid-day reader from the eastern suburbs has shared a photograph showing one such machine emitting smoke and kicking up dust, raising questions about its environmental impact.

The poor air quality is driven by multiple factors, from ongoing infrastructure and construction activity to continuous roadwork across the city. In its Friday edition, mid-day highlighted concerns of Juhu and Santacruz residents white dust coating roads and trees due to the demolition of private buildings and construction work. Residents say that they have not seen any AQI (Air Quality Index) meters outside construction zones.