916 projects issued warning notices for flouting norms

Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued warning notices to 916 construction sites and infrastructure projects like roads and bridges, across the city. This is subsequent to the newly appointed squads combing their respective wards to report those in breach of the mandated guidelines. The teams had visited 1342 sites.

Minesh Pimpale, deputy municipal commissioner, environment, said, “The squad level visits are on. We will stop the work -- be it private builders or infra projects -- if they do not follow the guidelines.” WhatsApp groups are being formed to track the visits of the squads and generate reports. “This will help ward officers to implement guidelines easily,” said another official.

Besides BMC, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has issued notices to all of its 281 projects asking those in the helm of affairs to comply with air pollution mitigation guidelines.

Satish Lokhande, CEO, SRA said, “We have also formed a portal where architects have to upload latest pictures of the compliance. We had initially shared the guidelines with all SRA project builders; now individual notices have been sent for compliance.”

BMC’s mitigation plan mandates 25 feet of barricading on all construction sites such as bridges and flyovers. Even metro works above ground have been asked to barricade with 25 feet and the construction site be covered with a choice of tarpaulin, green cloth or jute sheet. The measures are mandated on agencies like SRA, MHADA, MIDC, MSRDC, MMRDA, BPT, Airport Authority of India, Railways, government or semi-government agencies and private construction sites.

An MMRDA official said, “We have issued a circular to contractors to comply with the high court’s order with immediate effect.”

Keval Valambhia, COO, CREDAI-MCHI, the apex body for real estate industry in MMR, said, “While the real estate sector has been under scrutiny, it’s crucial to recognise that Mumbai’s pollution problem is multifaceted. There are several significant contributors to the current state of affairs. The recent findings that M-East ward faces the highest air pollution levels demonstrate the broader challenges at hand. Factors such as power plants, refineries and the Deonar landfill significantly impact air quality in this area.”

While supporting BMC’s efforts to tackle air pollution, Valambhia said, “We are not running away from responsibility but asking authorities to change the perspective which holds the real estate sector responsible for the pollution menace.”

(With inputs from Shashank Rao and Satish Nandgaonkar)

BOX

Notices issued to contractors by BMC’s roads dept:

Island city – 35

Eastern suburbs – 20

Western suburbs – 28

Notices issued to contractors by BMC’s bridges dept:

Island city – 7

Eastern suburbs – 15

Western suburbs – 11