Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has directed the special squads at ward-level to file FIRs against builders who fail to comply with air-pollution mitigation directives and refuse to stop work even after receiving BMC notices. He instructed the other government agencies to visit their construction sites and ensure that guidelines are followed.
Construction sites informed to stop work immediately
The 96 squads formed in 24 administrative wards had issued 344 stop work notices till November 20. The construction and infrastructure sites that fail to follow the norms were told to stop the work immediately and carry out air-pollution mitigation measures.
However, some construction sites that were still carrying out work will now be under the BMC’s scanner. Chahal instructed the officials to file FIRs against such violators in a meeting held with government agencies and contractors in the BMC headquarters on Monday.
Attendees of meeting to mitigate pollution
A meeting was attended by officials of other government agencies, like Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority(MHADA), Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), to stress that pollution mitigation guidelines have to be followed.
Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to relax the norm of erecting 35-foot-high iron sheets at construction sites with an area of over one acre. “It was noticed that erecting 35-foot-high iron sheets is practically difficult. So the civic chief has instructed us to relax the rules and allow sheets less than 35 feet,” a civic official said.
First FIR in Vile Parle
Following Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal’s directives, the squad of K West ward filed an FIR against M/s Bharat Developer, Bapista Road, Vile Parle (W) for continuing work even after receiving a stop work notice on November 8. After receiving complaints for not following guidelines on November 19, the squad of nuisance detectors visited the site and found work in progress. The FIR was registered under IPC Section 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) on Monday evening.
