To reduce air pollution, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proactively issued stop-work warnings to two building sites on Saturday evening for failing to follow air pollution control norms. The sites in Vile Parle and JB Nagar in Andheri East were in breach of crucial procedures designed to reduce dust and particulate matter emissions during building and demolition activities.
Residents of both communities discovered the infractions and reported them to authorities. The civic authority responded quickly, deploying special teams to investigate, resulting in the issuance of stop-work orders. The demolition in JB Nagar resulted in rubble falling into an adjacent chawl, and in Vile Parle, a substantial amount of dust was generated due to the absence of proper covering.
With air quality predicted to deteriorate in November, the civic authority has increased its efforts to ensure that construction sites follow the appropriate rules to limit pollution.
The infractions are under the BMC’s air pollution reduction standards, which were issued on October 25, 2023, and define particular steps to be implemented on construction sites. For example, construction sites taller than 70 meters must be enclosed by at least 35-foot-high tin or metal sheets. Structures under destruction must be completely covered with tarpaulin, and water spraying must be done continually during demolition.
Stop-work notices were given to both Chandak Realtors Pvt. Ltd., which is in charge of the Andheri East project, and Kamala Homes & Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd., which is in charge of the Vile Parle project. While Chandak Realtors has yet to respond, Kamala Homes is unavailable for comment.
The stop-work notices, issued under Section 354A of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, required developers to immediately halt building and submit proof of conformity with authorised criteria within 24 hours. The notifications further said that failing to comply would result in the removal of all building materials, machinery, and equipment from the site at the developers’ exclusive risk and expense.
Source: Hindustan Times
