Mound of 40-foot-high earth dumped in Andheri

A construction firm in Andheri East, Mumbai, has been accused of flouting air pollution guidelines by dumping earth and sand rubble in an open area. The Watchdog Foundation, an NGO, has complained to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. The construction company is allegedly digging in the area for a project and dumping the unearthed sand nearby. The BMC issued guidelines on air pollution mitigation on 25 October and has been cracking down on violators.

More than a month after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) laid down the guidelines for air pollution mitigation, a mountain of earth and sand rubble, around 40-foot-high at the moment, in Andheri East has brought into focus the extent of brazenness construction firms could go to flout them.

Mumbai, India - Dec 19, 2023 : Illegal earth and sand stacking causing air pollution at Andheri, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

On Tuesday, Watchdog Foundation, an NGO, complained to BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board about the dumping site at the intersection of Sahar Elevation Road and Sahar Pipeline Road.

“I often use this road for my commute,” said Godfrey Pimenta, a trustee of the foundation. “The dumping has been going on for two months, but only now it is visible since the mounds of earth have risen above the 12-foot barricades placed around the construction site. The dump is near Chakala and Bamanwada, and when the wind carries the sand and earth particles, it increases the air pollution around.”

Pimenta claimed that the construction company is digging in the area for a project and dumping the unearthed sand nearby.

A civic official said the land on which the construction site is located belongs to the Airport Authority of India, but they will look into the complaint.

After issuing the guidelines on October 25, BMC began to crack down on violators, starting with notices to construction sites and giving them 15 days to comply. Thereafter, they sent show cause notices, escalated it to stop-work notices, and even filed police complaints against builders.

What the rules say

BMC’s air pollution norms say construction and demolition waste such as loose soil, sand or debris should be kept in a properly demarcated area which is barricaded and fully covered with tarpaulin. When these materials are there in the construction site, water sprinkling is necessary as they are prone to generate air-borne particulate matter. While transporting the waste to BMC’s designated unloading sites, the vehicles should be fully covered and not overloaded, with water fogging done during loading and unloading. After unloading, the vehicles should be washed and cleaned thoroughly. Under no circumstances should construction material be dumped in open areas.