Stop work notices limited to Mumbai, MMR construction sites spared

Only one construction site out of nearly 4,000 in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has been issued a stop work notice for violating pollution measures, raising concerns about air pollution in other areas. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has issued stop work notices to 527 sites in Mumbai, while other municipal corporations have issued warning notices but no stop work notices. Experts are calling for more action on violators and stricter enforcement of pollution guidelines across the region.

Mumbai: Only one of nearly 4,000 construction sites in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been issued a stop work notice for violating pollution mitigation measures. The site is located within Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) limits. This is in sharp contrast to 527 sites in Mumbai that have been served with stop work notices by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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Experts raised concerns about this, saying the issue of air pollution cannot be limited to Mumbai alone. Sunil Dahiya, analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said, “We see that there is no action on violators around Mumbai because the issue is not highlighted. This is helping them evade accountability and responsibility. There should be much more discussion about air pollution in other municipal corporations as well.”

After the BMC issued air pollution mitigation guidelines on October 25, they were replicated by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on October 27 for the whole state. Local bodies were also asked to enforce the guidelines strictly and issue stop work notices or seal sites in case of violations.

KDMC officials said that out of 300 sites that were inspected by officials, seven were served notices, whereas one site was closed down. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) issued show-cause notices to 102 construction sites asking them to comply with the guidelines, but no stop work notices were issued.

“We first issued instruction letters to all construction sites in the city, following which an inspection was undertaken. Our team found that 102 sites were not following the guidelines. They were issued a non-compliance notice and given seven days’ time. The decision on stop work will be taken after that,” said Manisha Pradhan, deputy municipal commissioner, environment, TMC.

In Mira Bhaindar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) too, no stop works notices were issued.

Warning notices were issued to 108 construction sites in the Mira Bhaindar corporation area. “As per the report of the town planning department, no stop work notices have been issued as yet. However, two RMC plants were shut by the MPCB recently and we have also issued warning notices to five more RMC plants operating in the city. We are using six machines for fogging and washing roads across the city. More than 200 kilometers of roads are being washed daily,” said Sanjay Shinde, DMC environment at MBMC.

No details were available regarding the number of warning notices issued to construction sites in Vasai Virar, but officials said no stop work notices were issued to construction sites in the area.

“We have issued warning notices to construction sites as per the Bombay high court order and asked them to comply within seven days. We will look at issuing stop work notices if they fail to fall in line,” said an official from the town planning department of VVMC.

Similarly, officials from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) said only warning notices had been issued in their areas and no stop work notices were issued as yet.

“More than 70-odd notices have already been served for compliance. Ward-level squads comprising four people including the ward officer are inspecting and issuing notices for penalty at the rate of ₹10 per square metre of the plot,” said a NMMC official.

Similarly, the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has issued warning notices to 190 construction sites, but no stop work notices were issued in the corporation area, nor was any fine collected, said Chhaya Dangle, UMC’s public relations officer.

Notices issued

BMC:

Show Cause : 465

Stop work: 527

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation:

Warning Notice: 70

Stop work: 00

Mira Bhaindar Municipal Corporation:

Warning Notice: 108

Stop work: 00

Stop work by MPCB to RMC plants: 02

Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation:

Warning Notice: 07

Stop work: 00

Panvel Municipal Corporation:

Warning notice: 15

Stop work: 00

Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation:

Warning notice: 190

Stop work: 00

Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation:

No data on warning notice

Stop Work: 00

Thane Municipal Corporation:

Warning Notice: 102

Stop work: 00