Pali Hill residents fight construction pollution with their own SOPs
Construction work anywhere causes disturbances in the surroundings but not in Bandra’s upscale Pali Hill, where residents have put in place a foolproof model to insulate themselves and their neighbourhood from development-related sound and dust irritants.
MUMBAI: Construction work anywhere causes disturbances in the surroundings but not in Bandra’s upscale Pali Hill, where residents have put in place a foolproof model to insulate themselves and their neighbourhood from development-related sound and dust irritants. The residents of Pali Hill ensure that developers abide by a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by them.
“Since 2008, we have had a set of ‘Dos and Don’ts’ that developers need to adhere to. “These rules are not difficult to abide by, like not keeping debris or building material of any kind on the main roads of Pali Hill and permission for only one heavy vehicle at a time for each of the construction sites in the area,” said Madhu Poplai, secretary, Pali Hill Residents Association (PHRA).
The set of rules include permitting construction activities between 7:30am and 7:30pm, with a 2-hour silent period, as against the civic body’s permissible hours of 6am to 10pm; and roads to be mandatorily kept clean by ensuring dumpers and trucks do not scatter mud or debris on the way, necessitating washing of the vehicles before hitting the roads in the neighbourhood.
Prior to commencing the construction, the developer must also submit approved plans to the PHRA along with a refundable security deposit of ₹10,000.
“So far, we haven’t had to deposit the cheque. It has always been returned,” Poplai said. “The real estate industry has been cooperating with us. There has been an instance or two wherein those in-charge at the project site tried to flout some of the rules, but it was ensured that they eventually towed the line.”
Recently, two more additions were made to the list of rules - installing noise barriers at the construction site and mandatorily spraying water or mist cannon in every dust-related activity.
Observing the success of the model, neighbouring localities, too, are keen to implement the SOPs to regulate the redevelopment frenzy.
“Residents of the areas around Mt. Mary’s Church and of Bandstand have approached us to understand the implementation and we are happy to share the SOPs with them,” Poplai said.
Kane Road on Mt. Mary’s is one such area witnessing a surge in redevelopment activity. “Residents at Kane Road did discuss the Pali Hill model with the PHRA to understand what measures can be adopted. They are troubled due to construction going on even at night,” said Maria D’Souza, chairperson of Mount Mary ALM. “The set of SOPs, if implemented, would definitely help the neighbourhood as more buildings are going in for redevelopment.”
The upscale Pali Hill, home to some of the Who’s Who of Mumbai and Bollywood circuit, has a total 79 buildings and 23 bungalows. A couple of actors’ bungalows that are undergoing transformation belong to Dilip Kumar and Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Kapoor.
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