BMC Halts Excavation At BKC Bullet Train Site, Cites Violation Of Pollution Mitigation Rules

Work on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project has been partially stopped at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a stop-work notice over air pollution concerns.

The notice was served on the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) for failing to follow anti-pollution rules, particularly the GRAP 4 guidelines. The action comes amid rising concerns over dust and air quality in the busy commercial district.

Civic officials said an inspection of the site found that basic dust-control measures were missing. These included misting machines, water sprinklers and anti-smog towers, which are required at large construction sites to reduce air pollution, according to the Free Press Journal.

While NHSRCL has claimed that it is largely compliant and has completed about 85 per cent of the excavation work, the BMC has asked the agency to immediately fix the lapses. An official, however, said that current indicators show air quality levels are within permissible limits.

According to sources cited by Free Press Journal, the stop-work notice applies only to excavation work and not to the entire project. Other construction activities are continuing.

The action comes in the aftermath of the increased pressure from the Bombay High Court, which last week pulled up the BMC for not taking pollution control seriously. After the court’s observations, the civic body issued show-cause and guideline notices to several construction projects, including the bullet train station at BKC.

“Subsequently, the BMC issued stop-work notices to several projects. In the case of the bullet train station, the issues raised were related to boundary curtain levels and debris transportation. These matters are currently under review, and a compliance report will be submitted to the BMC on the next working day. Due to the notice, all excavation-related work has now been stopped,” reported the Free Press Journal, citing sources.

NHSRCL has not responded to requests for comment so far.

For residents and office workers in BKC, the pause has brought some temporary relief from dust and poor air quality. However, the halt may affect the project timeline. The bullet train project spans 508.17 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, includes 12 stations, and is estimated to cost around Rs 1.1 lakh crore.