Mumbai's civic body issued a "stop work" notice to a unit of listed real estate company Prestige Group for allegedly failing to comply with guidelines to curb air pollution in the city. The builder said it is “working expeditiously” to ensure that the norms are followed.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had issued the anti-pollution guidelines earlier in October after the air quality in the country's financial hub worsened over the past few months.
A team appointed for air pollution mitigation visited the construction site of "The Prestige City" buildings named Siesta, Bellanza and COC at Yogi Hills in Mulund west on October 27 and found that there was no compliance with the anti-pollution guidelines, the BMC said in a notice to Prestige Mulund Realty.
“You are hereby directed to procure and install adequate sprinklers and smog guns within 15 and 30 days, respectively, from issuance of the said guidelines from October 25, 2023,” the BMC said. “You are hereby directed to stop the ongoing construction work immediately till the faithful compliance of all guidelines at the site."
If the company fails to adhere to the notice, its site could be sealed, the notice said.
Developers response
Prestige said it will act on the requirements prescribed.
"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," the Prestige Group said in a statement.
The company added that it was standard practice at Prestige to have dust/safety screens across all floors where active construction work is going on, high periphery fencing on the boundary of 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 organisation, we will continue to ensure that we action the requirements as prescribed by the authorities," the company said in the statement.
How many construction sites in Mumbai?
There are about 6,000 construction sites in the city, including private real estate developments and infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the Mumbai Coastal Road project, the Bandra Versova Sea Link project, and metro networks.
BMC guidelines
According to the guidelines issued by BMC, projects exceeding one acre must maintain a 35-foot barricade, while those under one acre should have a 25-foot barricade. Green cloth or jute sheet coverings must be deployed at all sites, regardless of the construction stage.
Also read: Mumbai air pollution: 5 real estate micro markets homebuyers should watch out
The BMC has said any uncovered building under construction will face a stop-work notice. The installation of sprinkler systems at key plots and sites is mandatory for regular misting throughout the day during construction, the BMC said on October 20.
The overall Air Quality Index in Mumbai was moderate at 139 at 12:32 pm on October 30, compared to over 250 between October 20 and 22, a level considered poor and concerning for those having respiratory illness.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
