BMC issues stop work notice to builder for flouting air pollution guidelines

The guidelines, which were issued on October 25, 2023, include several measures that construction sites must take to minimise their impact on air quality.

Mumbai: Four days after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued new guidelines to curb air pollution caused by construction sites across the city, it has sent a stop work notice to Prestige Group to halt construction work at its project site in Mulund for flouting the rules.

Mumbai, India – July 11, 2023: Mumbai, India – July 11, 2023: Under Construction project, Prestige Ocean Tower area at Charni Road, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The guidelines, which were issued on October 25, 2023, include several measures that construction sites must take to minimise their impact on air quality. BMC asked construction sites to ensure that at least 35 feet high tin or metal sheets are erected around the periphery of construction projects having a height of more than 70 metres.

The assistant commissioner of the T ward office, which comprises areas of Mulund West, issued them a stop work notice on October 27, after a flying squad inspected the construction site of the Prestige City buildings Siesta, Bellanza and COC, in Yogi Hill, Mulund. According to the notice, they were in contravention of 13 of the new guidelines. These are to do with the lack of tin or metal sheets covering the construction site, the site not being enclosed in green cloth, not covering vehicles carrying construction material and debris, not having CCTV cameras, not having air pollution monitors, not carrying out work in enclosed spaces, not unloading the construction and demolition waste as per the BMC’s rules, vehicles not having PUC certificates, workers not wearing protective equipment, vehicles not having tracking systems, construction debris not stored in a barricaded area and not ensuring vehicle tyres are washed.

As it was a Sunday, construction was paused on the site according to the residents.

“The builder was sprinkling water on the construction site three times a day before the monsoon. But after the monsoon, the site manager changed, and the same is not being done anymore,” said Bharat Soni, from the Hill Side Residents Welfare Association (HIRWA) and added, “The vehicles also bring in a lot of construction material, which causes air pollution in the area.”

Due to the poor air quality, the residents have been dealing with respiratory issues such as bronchitis and coughing, he said. And talking to the site manager has not helped, said Soni.

The BMC notice states that the builder needs to procure and install adequate sprinklers and smog guns within 15-30 days respectively from the issuance of the said guidelines i.e from October 25 failing which the work site will be sealed by the corporation. Soni added that they were told that anti-smog machines would be installed, but they weren’t yet.

Another problem with the construction site is the rampant noise pollution, as the work continues around the clock. “So many of the builders and contractors do not follow the air pollution regulation guidelines that have been in place, which is why they’ve brought this stop work notice upon themselves. We have no problem with development, but they should follow the rules to ensure it doesn’t come at the expense of the health of people,” said Bharat.

When contacted for their response, the Bengaluru-based Prestige Group said in a statement, "The Prestige Group has an obligation to deliver homes on time to our homeowners and we always do so with an equal obligation and responsibility towards the environment and the community we develop our properties in. The new guidelines were issued on Oct 25, 2023 by the BMC to all private and public bodies and, like others in the industry, we have immediately initiated actions to ensure compliance with these guidelines. "

"We are among the select developers who had already installed and deployed two anti-smog guns more than a year back. It is also a standard practice at Prestige to have dust/safety screens across all floors where active construction work is happening, high periphery fencing on the boundary of the work sites, covered debris trucks, wheel washing facilities for construction vehicles and continuous cleaning/water sprinkling on the roads to curb the impact of construction activity. Compliance across all the guidelines of the BMC will take some time to execute but we are working expeditiously to achieve the same. As a responsible organization, we will continue to ensure that we action the requirements as prescribed by the authorities," the statement added.

The assistant commissioner of the T ward, Ajay Patne, was not available for comment.