Residents of Lokhandwala in Andheri West have complained of dust pollution during the demolition of a private building undergoing redevelopment on First Cross Lane, prompting the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association to seek immediate intervention from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
The complaint relates to dust generated during demolition work on the area’s main market road on Saturday morning. According to the association, the pollution caused inconvenience to residents and passersby in the surrounding neighbourhood. The association has asked the BMC’s K-West Ward office to inspect the site and ensure that measures are taken to prevent dust from spreading.
The complaint was also marked to the MPCB. The association has sought verification of whether the demolition is being carried out in compliance with environmental and air-pollution norms, and has urged the authorities to direct the developer and contractor to take immediate corrective action.
Local resident Ilyas Qureshi said residents were not opposed to the redevelopment itself but wanted dust-control measures to be followed during the work. “On Saturday morning we faced significant dust pollution due to the demolition of the building in the First Cross Lane in Lokhandwala Andheri West. We are not against the redevelopment of the building but we demand that water should be sprinkled regularly during demolition,” he said.
The complaint highlights a recurring point of friction in Mumbai’s redevelopment areas: construction and demolition activity can take place alongside occupied homes, shops, roads and pedestrian movement. In this case, the work was reported on a main market road, bringing the immediate effects of demolition beyond the project plot and into a neighbourhood used by residents and passersby.
The association has specifically asked for regular sprinkling of water during demolition to control dust. It has also asked the civic and pollution-control authorities to examine the site rather than treating the issue only as a neighbourhood grievance. The requested inspection is intended to establish whether the work is complying with applicable environmental and air-pollution requirements.
LOCA said uncontrolled dust could affect local air quality and pose health risks, particularly for children, senior citizens and people with respiratory ailments. The association’s complaint therefore combines a demand for immediate site-level action with a request for regulatory verification of the demolition process.
The report does not establish whether the BMC or MPCB has inspected the site, issued a direction or taken enforcement action. It also does not identify the developer or contractor involved in the redevelopment. The immediate next step sought by the residents’ association is an inspection by the civic and pollution-control authorities, followed by directions to implement adequate dust-suppression measures.
