NAVI MUMBAI:
The ongoing blasting work at Godrej Bayview, a redevelopment project in JN 2 type buildings in sector 9A of Vashi, has worried neighboring residential societies and they have complained to NMMC demanding a stop to the activity.
Residents fear stems from the tremors caused due to the repeated blasting. There are also concerns raised by veterans residing within the area about the aftershocks paving way for earthquakes.
Delegates on Friday submitted their grievances in writing to the Municipal Commissioner. They expressed their fears and concerns caused owing to recurrent blasting work. “We appraised the administration about the problem the neighboring societies are facing due to the improper mechanism used for construction work. Many flats have developed cracks and the developer is not taking adequate precautions in tackling noise and dust pollution,” said Sudatt Dive, a Sector 9 resident.
The residents want the NMMC to take immediate measures to control the noise and dust pollution. “The NMMC should conduct a site visit to identify the lacunae. Ideally water needs to be sprayed to prevent dust pollution and the intensity of the blast as well as the timeline of the work done has to be checked to ensure there are no violations, “ said an environmental activist B.N.Kumar.
The recurring blasts has also evoked fears of causing earthquake, according to Adv B.K Subbarao, retired Captain of Indian Navy and a Ph. D holder IIT (Bombay) who also resides in sector 9. He said recurrent blasts could create disturbance on the already existing earth fault lines. “It is already known that Navi Mumbai falls under the seismic zone for earthquake. Permitting such blasts will disturb the earth’s surface, “he said.
NMMC Town Planning department said it is looking into the matter. However, officials maintained that blasting is a regular practice in cities wherein construction work is regular affair. “Unlike Mumbai, the soil in Navi Mumbai is rocky and for construction of basement and underground parking, it becomes necessary to initiate blasting. Since redevelopment projects are new to the city, it is expected to create such fears, “ said a senior official from NMMC.
When contacted, a Godrej Properties Ltd spokesperson said, “All the development works including excavation, at our project Godrej Bayview is being carried out as per safety guidelines and within the limits prescribed by the competent authorities. The wellbeing of the neighbouring residents is our utmost priority and to ensure their safety and security. We have also engaged external experts to track the impact of excavation works. As a responsible real estate developer, we continue to adhere to all necessary compliances as per applicable guidelines and have the necessary requisite permissions.”