The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has temporarily suspended a provision that made architects and licensed surveyors accountable alongside developers for air and dust pollution at construction sites, offering relief to professionals who had challenged the regulation.
The decision followed a meeting between representatives of the architectural community and civic officials on October 8. The Council of Architecture had earlier written to the municipal commissioner, objecting to the civic body’s September 2 circular, which threatened licence suspension for failing to ensure pollution-control measures at construction sites.
On Wednesday, Sunil Rathod, chief engineer of development planning at the BMC, said project approval procedures would continue without holding architects and licensed surveyors responsible for construction-related air pollution.
“This is an interim measure until the rule is amended,” Rathod said. “We have issued this circular as many projects are pending.”
He added, “The high-power committee felt that architects and licenced surveyors are not directly responsible; the site supervisor and bulders are responsible for pollution.”
Architect Shirish Sukhatme argued that the most significant dust emissions often occur during demolition and basement excavation, rather than while the building’s superstructure is being constructed.
“Dust pollution and air pollution hazards emerge not during construction of the superstructure, but while demolishing the building and carrying out excavation of basements. In this activity, architects have a very limited role to play.”
Sukhatme proposed that the BMC require developers to submit a security deposit as assurance that pollution-control requirements would be followed. The amount could be refunded after demolition and excavation activities are completed.
Architect Vilas Nagalkar, who is associated with the Practising Engineers Architects and Town Planners Association, also questioned the decision to hold architects responsible for on-site activities.
“Architects engaged for new building plans have almost no role in this phase. Actual execution on site is in the hands of the contractor. Hence, seeking any undertaking from architects was not justified.’’
The BMC’s interim decision allows pending projects to move through the approval process while the disputed provision awaits amendment. The development highlights continuing differences over how responsibility for construction-site pollution should be divided among developers, contractors, supervisors and design professionals.
Source: Hindustan Times
