BMC ignoring its own pollution norms in Bandra East, residents livid

Mumbai: While demolition of a few old buildings in the 90-acre Government Colony in Bandra East took off in the first week of August, residents of neighbouring establishments are left bearing the brunt of dust pollution.
The buildings – 1 and 4 — being brought down in the 64-year-old colony housed class-4 workers and were in the poorest condition among all the others.
Buildings 2 and 3 overlook those being demolished, flouting guidelines established by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in October, 2023, to mitigate air pollution. Green cloth and steel sheets cover only 10-feet of the demolition sites, whereas rules mandate that they cover the entire span of the sites for protection. The civic body’s rule applies to both government and private agencies.
Unable to bear the noise and dust pollution, residents shot off a complaint letter to the H East ward office earlier this week, but have yet to receive any acknowledgement from them.
“Last Saturday, they brought down the building right opposite my door,” said Saidi Sagar Kadam, a ground floor resident of building 3. The buildings are designed like chawls where the windows and the entrance door to the homes face a common corridor – all overlooking the demolition site. “That day, the dust had created a storm cloud. I immediately had an allergy attack.” Kadam added that it was even more dangerous as bits of concrete fell on their compound, which may have hurt anyone passing by. Two other residents on the first floor of the building complained of chest congestion due to the constant exposure to dust.
“There weren’t proper barriers, such as a green sheet, put up. When we complained, they complied but only partially. Parts of the enclosure are still open,” said Vijay Naik. “Also, the sound that goes on all day is a bother.”
Umesh Yelve, another resident, underlined that no amount of dusting through the day keeps their home clean. “All of us, including my kids, have developed a cough; it has only worsened over the last few weeks, as there are no protective barriers to restrict the dust,” said Yelve, calling attention to the low make-shift barriers. “They should also have put up a board at all the sides of the demolition site telling people to keep their distance while walking.”
As the demolition of the two buildings are nearing completion axing the concrete debris to size to enable transportation is another irritant. “This work going on opposite is not going to end for a while. We will continue to be in the line of fire. Instead, the government should have shifted us and started work on all the buildings simultaneously,” he added.
The erstwhile residents of the building under demolition have been given alternative accommodation in Dnyaneshwar Nagar, not too far from their earlier residences. Those in the buildings 2 and 3 are awaiting similar notices. “We have been told that it will come to us around Diwali, but we do not have any real confirmation,” said Kadam, while Yelve suspected they would be staying on for at least a year.
Five small shops owned by mechanics of vehicles, close to the buildings being demolished, are also facing similar brunt. “Our home, which is above the shop, has been vibrating since the demolition started,” said Sunil Soni, a shop owner of A to Z Fabrication. “While the dust in the air has caused respiratory problems, the noise that is on till 3 am is keeping us awake,” he said.
Soni, whose shop was constructed 35 years ago, had submitted the complaint letter to the H East ward office on Monday, detailing all the problems faced by residents. He said he is staying put for fear of losing his property. “The deputy collector gave us a notice on August 5, asking us to remove our unauthorised shop within two days or they will be demolished, even though we have all the documents in place. Six shops have already been demolished. The five of us left have gone to court.”
When HT reached out to the head of BMC’s environment department, Minesh Pimple, he said, “The air pollution guidelines are in place. A squad is supposed to immediately check once a complaint is received – written or through BMC’s Air mobile app. We will follow up on this complaint.”
A reimagined Bandra Government Colony
The Bandra Government Colony houses government staff from class-1 to class-4 categories.
It is spread across 90 acres, and lies between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and the Western Express Highway.
370 buildings, which have 4782 flats, were constructed between 1958 and 1973.
Till May, 2024, 68 buildings were demolished as they were in a poor condition.
As part of the redevelopment plan of the colony, 30 acres are reserved for the Bombay high court, while 12 high-rises of 16 storeys each have been planned on the remaining 60 acres – part of it will be used to rehabilitate government workers and the rest put up for sale.
Guidelines before demolition
Before any structure is demolished, it must be covered with tarpaulin or green cloth or a jute sheet from top to bottom.
It is mandatory to sprinkle or spray water continuously when the demolition is on, so that the dust settles down.
Water fogging to be carried out during loading and unloading of materials at the construction sites. Stationary or anti-smog guns can be used for the purpose.