NAVI MUMBAI: Expressing their deep concern at stone quarrying in the vicinity of many skyscrapers at Bhayanderpada, near Ghodbunder in Thane, green groups have written an urgent letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting his immediate intervention, to save their buildings.
The buildings could cave in due to landslides which are imminent due to the constant quarrying in the area, Watchdog Foundation director advocate Godfrey Pimenta said.
NatConnect Foundation too took up the issue with the CM, who also heads the home ministry, requesting him to step in and check gross violations.
Adv Pimenta said the quarry is a violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order passed in September 2020, that prescribed the minimum distance of 200 metres between stone quarries and residential and public structures and 100 metres from blasting.
The Bhayandarpada quarry site is barely 30 metres for a residential building, Pimenta said.
The blasting and quarry activity with high vibrations also affects the structural integrity of nearby skyscrapers, which could collapse like a pack of house of cards in the event of even minor seismic activity, he pointed out.
Noise and dust pollution are the other hazards that the people would face, NatConnect director B N Kumar said.
The activists, therefore, called for an immediate official inspection of the site, order stop-work notice to the quarry, launch legal proceedings against those responsible for the violations and ensure the safety and well-being of the residents by taking necessary preventive measures.
While the response of the chief minister’s office (CMO) is awaited, the activists added that they may file in RTIs with the Thane authorities in order to know more about the permissions granted to these active quarries.
“Just recently, there was a cave-in at the compound of a Belapur based building in Navi Mumbai, due to heavy drilling works taking place at the adjoining construction plot. Hence, a similar danger is faced by the buildings at Bhayandarpada,” said Kumar.
Source Homevior.in
