Work halted at 4 construction sites

The municipal corporation has stopped work at four construction sites in Borivli and issued notices to 350 builders for not following its anti-malaria and larvae control norms.

The municipal corporation has stopped work at four construction sites in Borivli and issued notices to 350 builders for not following its anti-malaria and larvae control norms.

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"We have taken action against the builders for not following norms, despite warnings. For the first time ever, four construction sites at Yogi Nagar and the Eksar area in Borivli were issued stop-work notices," a senior civic official said, requesting anonymity for lack of authorisation to talk to the media. "These builders had been issued notices and given seven days’ time to initiate the anti-malaria and larvae control measures," the official added.

"But they failed to do so and the corporation issued them stop-work notices under Section 354 of the BMC Act. This will lay a precedent for other builders."

According to official data, there has been a 55 per cent increase in malaria cases in the city compared to those reported between April 2009 and June 2010.

Around 31 people have died of malaria this year.

The municipal corporation has identified construction sites and Mumbai Metro project and other infrastructure project sites as one of the causes for the increase in malaria cases.

According to civic officials, a significant number of malaria cases recorded since June were from seven wards, which include Sewri, Mahalaxmi, Byculla, Chembur and Ghatkopar, Reay Road, Mahim, Dharavi, Santacruz and Vikhroli areas.