Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has issued a “stop work” notice to a unit of the publicly-listed real estate company, Prestige Group, for allegedly failing to adhere to air pollution control guidelines in the city. The BMC introduced these guidelines in response to deteriorating air quality in the financial capital over recent months.
A dedicated team tasked with mitigating air pollution visited the construction site of “The Prestige City,” specifically the Siesta, Bellanza, and COC buildings at Yogi Hills in Mulund West on October 27. They found that the construction site did not comply with the BMC’s anti-pollution guidelines, prompting the issuance of the notice to Prestige Mulund Realty.
The notice specifies that the developer must procure and install adequate sprinklers and smog guns within 15 and 30 days, respectively, from the guidelines’ issuance on October 25, 2023. The BMC further directed Prestige Group to halt ongoing construction work immediately until full compliance with all guidelines at the site is achieved. Failure to adhere to the notice could result in the sealing of the construction site.
Prestige Group’s Response
In response to the notice, Prestige Group affirmed its commitment to fulfilling the BMC’s requirements. The company has already taken proactive measures to ensure compliance with the guidelines. Notably, Prestige Group had installed and deployed two anti-smog guns more than a year ago, demonstrating its commitment to addressing air quality concerns.
Prestige Group also highlighted its standard practices in construction, which include dust/safety screens on all floors with active construction, high periphery fencing around work sites, covered debris trucks, wheel washing facilities for construction vehicles, and continuous road cleaning and water sprinkling to mitigate the impact of construction activities.
The company acknowledged that full compliance with all BMC guidelines would take some time to implement but assured that it is working diligently to achieve this. Prestige Group emphasized its responsibility as an organization and its commitment to meeting the requirements set by the authorities.
Mumbai’s Construction Sites
Mumbai boasts a significant number of construction sites, estimated at around 6,000, encompassing both private real estate developments and large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the Mumbai Coastal Road project, the Bandra Versova Sea Link project, and various metro networks.
BMC Guidelines
According to BMC’s guidelines, construction projects exceeding one acre must maintain a 35-foot barricade, while those under one acre should have a 25-foot barricade. All construction sites, regardless of size, must deploy green cloth or jute sheet coverings. Any uncovered building under construction will receive a stop-work notice. The BMC also mandates the installation of sprinkler systems for regular misting throughout the day during construction, as outlined in their directive on October 20.
As of October 30, the overall Air Quality Index in Mumbai had improved to a moderate level, registering at 139, compared to the poor and concerning levels exceeding 250 observed between October 20 and 22. These elevated levels had raised health concerns, particularly for individuals with respiratory illnesses.