Mumbai, Oct 11 (IANS) As air quality concerns begin to resurface following the withdrawal of the monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is reportedly set to tighten enforcement of construction and demolition (C&D) waste management rules across the city.
Starting Monday, the civic body will levy a penalty of Rs 25,000 on every vehicle found transporting construction debris or excavation material without an active and authorised Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS).
Construction sites that fail to register on the BMC’s Mumbai Debris Control and Tracking System (MDCTS) portal will also face a fine of Rs 25,000 for each violation.
The move comes amid growing concerns over illegal dumping of construction waste and its impact on Mumbai’s environment and air quality. In a circular issued to all 26 municipal wards, the BMC has directed officials to begin inspections and enforcement drives immediately.
Mumbai generates more than 8,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste every day, significantly exceeding the city’s treatment capacity.
The two processing facilities at Dahisar and Shilphata can collectively handle only around 1,200 tonnes of debris daily, creating a large gap that has led to rampant illegal dumping.
Civic officials said debris is frequently discarded along roadsides, vacant plots, drains, creeks, water bodies and mangrove areas, as per the report.
To improve monitoring and accountability, the BMC launched the MDCTS portal on August 24. The digital platform is designed to track C&D waste from its point of generation to authorised disposal or processing facilities.
It also allows civic authorities to monitor debris-carrying vehicles in real time, detect route deviations and identify suspected cases of illegal dumping.
The civic body has made registration on the portal mandatory for contractors, government agencies and private developers undertaking construction activities.
Registered entities are required to submit detailed waste management plans, while vehicles transporting debris must be fitted with GPS-enabled VTMS devices and follow approved transportation routes.
According to BMC data, the MDCTS portal recorded 220 registrations between August 24 and October 9. These included 109 builders and developers, 44 transporters, 19 BMC contractors, 17 external buyers of debris and soil, 15 corporate entities and four government agencies. No registrations were received from individual citizens during the period.
–IANS
pk
