Mumbai, February 22 (IANS). Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aditya Thackeray on Sunday appealed to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to immediately ban private construction work for a week. He cited poor air quality and Mumbai being ‘immersed in terrible smog’.
In a strongly worded letter to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Thackeray expressed concern over the deteriorating environmental conditions and ongoing urban development projects and demanded immediate action to protect public health.
The letter, written on February 22, shows the growing conflict between the opposition and the civic body over environmental management and the city’s rapid infrastructure expansion.
Thackeray said Mumbai has been experiencing “extreme pollution” for the past three days and warned that deteriorating air quality could adversely affect the city’s reputation as a destination for investment and tourism.
He demanded an immediate seven-day ban on private construction activities across the city, and also sought to create a ward-wise construction schedule with real-time air quality data to minimize environmental impact.
The former Maharashtra environment minister also criticized BMC’s alleged plan to cut around 45,000 mangroves, citing a contradiction between environmental commitments and development decisions.
Thackeray said, “If instead of saving Mumbai’s natural ecosystem, trees are planted far away, then the plan to plant trees as compensation is not acceptable.” They suggested that other engineering solutions such as underground construction or changed infrastructure design could help save mangrove cover.
Thackeray also objected to the proposed redevelopment and change in land use at key public places like Mahalaxmi Race Course and Back Garden in Colaba.
Referring to the proposal for underground parking facility at Mahalaxmi Race Course, he questioned the need for government spending on the project and said any redevelopment should be done with full consideration of heritage and people’s accessibility.
Regarding the back gardens in Colaba, he alleged that the civic authorities were acting under external pressure and sought to save the playgrounds as open public spaces rather than converting them into controlled or commercial facilities.
They also called for a city-wide audit of playgrounds that have been altered or redeveloped, alleging that such changes could undermine public accessibility and environmental sustainability.
Thackeray urged municipal commissioners to give priority to public health and environmental safety while taking decisions related to construction and urban development.
His comments come at a time when Mumbai is facing air quality challenges and infrastructure expansion, and the upcoming civic body elections are also going to be held in the city.
–IANS
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