Bombay High Court pulls up civic bodies over construction workers’ safety

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday strongly criticised city authorities for failing to protect construction workers from dangerous air pollution, saying that poor labourers are being left to breathe toxic air without basic safety, as per reports.

A bench reportedly led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar said that government agencies were busy collecting air quality data but were not taking real action on construction sites, where workers are the most exposed. 

The court pulled up the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for ignoring the health of construction workers, as per reports.

The Chief Justice reportedly asked why workers were not even given basic protection like masks and said that the right to health belongs to everyone, including daily-wage labourers.

Warning the authorities, the court said Mumbai could end up facing the same severe pollution crisis as Delhi if officials continue to ignore the problem. 

The bench also questioned why no public health warnings were issued when air quality crossed dangerous levels in many parts of the city, noted the reports.

They reportedly reminded officials that protecting the environment is not just part of their job, but also a constitutional duty.

BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who was present in court, reportedly said he had carried out a few surprise visits to construction sites and that action had been taken against some violators. BMC’s lawyer, senior advocate S U Kamdar, told the court that hundreds of notices and stop-work orders had been issued to builders who broke pollution rules.

However, the court was not convinced. The Bench said that during visits to several construction sites, proper safety measures were missing at almost all locations. It made clear that it does not want construction work to stop, but wants builders to follow the rules meant to control dust and protect workers, stated the reports.

The matter will be heard again on December 24, and the court said it is ready to take up the issue even during court holidays if needed.