Mumbai: BMC to slap MMRCL with notice for dusty site

The Metro Aqua Line 3 site near the BMC headquarters on Mahapalika Marg is surrounded by a fabric following mid-day’s exposé on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A day after mid-day revealed how dust-mitigation guidelines weren't being implemented on a Metro 3 site outside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, a team of civic officials visited the spot in question and said that an intimation notice would be issued to the people concerned. The authorities also surrounded the work site with green fabric to prevent the spread of dust in the wake of this newspaper's report.

A Civic official said, "We have identified lapses in dust mitigation at the project site. We will give them an intimation notice about the guidelines, which is typical protocol. After that, if we still find lapses, we will take action as per the protocol."

Green fabric surrounds the offending site outside the BMC HQ on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Dust-mitigation guidelines published by the BMC last week make it mandatory for the measures to be observed by agencies such as Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Airports Authority of India, Railways, government or semi-government authorities and private construction sites.

The timeline for the procurement of sprinklers for construction sites is 15 days from the date of issuance of the guidelines (October 25) while smog guns must be set up within 30 days. The guidelines, which were issued by civic chief I S Chahal, mention that the contractor and authorities concerned should erect iron sheets around construction sites and enclose them with green cloth, jute sheets and tarpaulin.

Oct 25
Day dust-mitigation measures were issued