Between October 2024 and February 2025, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued show cause notices to nearly 1,867 contractors for flouting dust mitigation norms mandated across Mumbai’s construction sites. Of these, data showed that at least 42 percent of the notices were served to contractors roped in for executing civic and public infrastructure works by administrative agencies.
Amid burgeoning pollution levels and concerns of the impact of dust from the infrastructure project sites, the BMC in 2023, released a set of guidelines to control emissions including a volley of norms for dust mitigation on construction sites. The norms ranged from directives to cover sites with green or jute sheets to erect tin or metal sheets across the project boundary, depending on the size.
However, records show that the mitigation norms remain flouted across the city, by not only private projects but also by government-appointed contractors.
Since construction works resumed post-monsoon withdrawal in October 2024 to February 2025, the BMC has slapped show cause notices to at least 1,867 contractors — undertaking private and government projects — for failing to adhere to the norms. This marks a significant spike from the previous year when 901 stop work notices while 824 show cause notices had been served until May 2024 since the norms came into force in 2023.
Of the total show cause notices issued thus far, data showed that 1,091 notices have been issued to contractors involved in private projects, 448 contractors were involved in development projects undertaken by agencies like the SRA, MHADA, MMRDA, MSRDC amongst others who are working on projects like metro rail and the bullet train, while 328 were contractors appointed by the BMC for carrying out projects like road concretisation, sewerage operations and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) works.
Furthermore, at a time when civic projects like the mega concretisation works have gathered significant pace to achieve its pre monsoon target, notices served for violations at municipal worksites have seen a massive uptick in the past month. In February alone, 295 notices were served to contractors working on BMC projects as against a mere 33 notices served to the same between October to December 2024.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Rajesh Tamhane, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Environment) said that the notices flagging violations are being served on the basis of regular inspections being undertaken across the city’s construction worksites. “If we find violations during the course of inspections, we first issue show cause notices directing the sites to adhere to the norms. After another inspection, if we still find that the norms have not been implemented, a stop work notice is issued,” added Tamhane.
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Data shows that at least 913 stop work notices have been sent to violators during the five-month period, of which the maximum number of notices were issued in the K/East ward.
Currently, nearly 525 kilometres or every one in four kilometres of Mumbai’s roads have been dug up to pave way for the ongoing concretisation revamp works while the city is also witnessing many other large scale projects, ranging from bridge works to metro projects. Furthermore, officials estimate that the city is also home to over 2,200 private construction sites with each ward averaging 50 – 60 private construction projects.
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