BMC sends notice to L&T, HCC for unauthorised material used for Coastal Road reclamation

The civic body alleged that excavation material from private construction sites was used without the required permissions and sought documents

The BMC on October 5 issued a show-cause notice to the Larsen & Toubro (L&T)-Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) joint venture which is executing Packages B, C and D of the Mumbai Coastal Road project. The notice was sent for the alleged use of excavation material sourced from private construction sites across Mumbai for backfilling and reclamation without the mandatory transportation permissions.

The notice directs the contractor to stop using the material for backfilling until clearance is obtained from the BMC. (AFP)

Senior officials from the BMC’s Solid Waste Management (SWM) department said the contractor had failed to respond within the stipulated 72 hours despite being asked to explain its position and submit supporting documents.

Inspection finds backfilling activity near Haji Ali

The notice, issued by the Executive Engineer (SWM), Zone I, follows a site inspection conducted on October 1 near the Haji Ali Coastal area towards PDP Garden. During the inspection, officials observed backfilling activity and subsequently examined vehicle details and challans to ascertain the source of the material being used.

The notice states that the practice violates the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 and 2025, the directions of the Bombay high court concerning the illegal transportation of earth and debris, and the contractual conditions governing the Coastal Road project. As per the tender conditions, filling material must be procured from authorised quarries or approved sources with valid permissions.

Contractor asked to explain use of disputed material

The BMC has termed the alleged use of material from unauthorised private sources a “serious violation of contractual and technical specifications”. The contractor has been asked to explain why the unauthorised material should not be removed or rejected at its own cost and why stringent action should not be initiated against the contractor. The BMC also directed the contractor to immediately stop backfilling using such material until clearance was obtained from the department.

The notice further sought supporting documents, including details of the material’s source, valid transportation permissions, royalty challans and geotechnical test reports. It also directed the assistant engineer (SWM), C&D ward, to initiate action against private developers found transporting construction and demolition waste without the requisite permissions.

Responding to the notice, an L&T spokesperson said, “We have received the notice from the BMC’s solid waste management department regarding the source of backfilling material at a section of the Mumbai Coastal Road project. Compliance with all applicable rules, permissions and contract conditions is a priority for us. We remain committed to resolving this matter promptly and to delivering the project to the required standards.”