The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) over the alleged use of debris from private construction sites to fill land reserved for gardens and public open spaces along the southern stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road.
The land parcels are located between Haji Ali and Priyadarshini Park. According to the civic notice, material used for filling activities was brought from private building construction sites instead of being sourced from authorised stone quarries and approved suppliers, as required under BMC solid waste management rules and the project’s tender conditions.
The alleged violation was detected during a routine inspection of the site. The notice said that an examination of challans and vehicle records showed that “earth/excavation materials” used for the filling work were being brought from private construction sites. It stated that the tender required all filling materials to be procured from authorised quarries and approved sources with valid permissions.
The BMC has asked L&T to respond and explain the alleged violation. The notice does not state what further action the civic body will take if the company’s explanation is not accepted. The supplied report also does not specify the quantity of material brought to the site or the total area affected by the alleged dumping.
The issue concerns land created as part of the 10.58-km Mumbai Coastal Road project, which was opened to the public in March 2024. The project involved reclaiming 111 hectares from the Arabian Sea. Of that area, 40 hectares has been used for roads, interchanges and bridges, while around 70 hectares consists of land parcels intended for gardens and open spaces.
The notice brings attention to the administrative controls governing material used in the development of reclaimed urban land. The BMC’s stated requirement for quarry-sourced soil and stone chips is intended to distinguish approved filling material from debris generated at unrelated construction sites. The civic action also places responsibility on project agencies and contractors to maintain records that establish where excavation and filling material originates.
The future of the open-space parcels is linked to a separate maintenance and development arrangement. In August 2025, the BMC appointed Reliance Infrastructure Limited to develop and maintain gardens along the Coastal Road. The notice to L&T comes as these reclaimed parcels remain under development and await conversion into public open spaces.
L&T’s response to the BMC and any subsequent civic action will determine how the alleged breach of the tender and waste-management requirements is addressed. The notice, as reported, is the current formal step in the matter.
