Maharashtra govt to introduce new regulations for construction activities in Mumbai
In a bid to curb the menace of the rising pollution in Mumbai, Maharashtra government is drafting a policy to encourage the developers to use precast materials
Mumbai:In a bid to curb the menace of the rising pollution in Mumbai, Maharashtra government is drafting a policy to encourage the developers to use precast materials. The environment department of the state has also constituted a task force to suggest ways to deal with the menace of rising pollution. Maharashtra environment minister Pankaja Munde said that the policy will encourage the real estate developers and contractors by giving them incentives to shift to precast construction from on-site construction. The developers will be asked to get the readymade components at the construction site from outside the city instead of on-site construction.
The environment department wants the developers to set up precast manufacturing units outside Mumbai city and suburbs, said an official from the Mantralaya .
Ms Munde said, "The government has already taken action against the ongoing construction works for failing to control the pollution. The precast construction material will assist them to continue work without harming the environment. This will be a good move for reducing the air pollution."
According to the environment minister, the policy would be applicable to the private as well as the public construction sites.
Officials said that the task force will be a convergence of various departments including the transport and health. They would suggest ways to process the medical waste, which is also harmful for the environment.
In January 2025, Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, witnessed the problem of poor air quality due to the various construction initiatives, such as the Metro projects in the city and surrounding areas. Following this, the environment department and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) served notices to construction sites either to stop construction works or take corrective measures including sprinkling of water to reduce the pollution.
The environment minister also said that they would launch a policy soon. “The work of the task force and drawing the road map to contain the pollution in Mumbai is also underway. Various other departments including health, transport and agencies like BMC are being taken into confidence to fix their role in implementation of the policy. It will involve various steps and their monitoring to keep pollution in control,” Ms Munde said.
The environment minister added that the government is going to take a step for proper implementation of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which are set up by the Cooperative housing societies.
