BMC issues notice to 461 construction sites in Mumbai for ignoring air pollution norms

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued notices to 461 construction sites across the city’s 24 wards, warning them of strict action if its air pollution guidelines were not followed. The intimation notice states that stop work notices will be issued or construction sites sealed in case of violations.According to a Hindustan Times report, the ward-level squads visited 815 construction sites, and a written intimation was slapped on 461 of these.

The squads included a senior ward official, two engineers, one police officer and one marshal with a vehicle. The squads were formed after the BMC issued fresh guidelines on October 25, mandating all construction sites, whether private or government, to follow guidelines or face a stop work notice. Ashwini Joshi, additional municipal commissioner, said the BMC was in the process of issuing a letter to all 6,000 construction sites across the city, reminding them to follow the air pollution guidelines. The BMC said that besides visits to the sites, it was also integrating air pollution guideline reminders in its ‘Auto DCR’ portal, which grants various permissions for construction.