BMC mulls restricting construction work to 7 pm

Author: admin_zeelivenews

Published: 12-03-2026, 4:13 PM

BMC mulls restricting construction work to 7 pm

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3 min readMumbaiMar 12, 2026 09:43 PM IST

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is mulling curbing construction work between 7.00 am to 7 pm, the deadline of which is 10pm currently. The move comes amid concerns of noise and air pollution triggered by increasing construction work in the city. The proposal to introduce new construction timings, floated by senior BJP corporator Alka Kelkar, is set to be tabled in a general body meeting on March 17.

Mumbai has been witnessing a massive churn in infrastructure, with BMC officials stating that there are over 2,200 construction sites. Of these, between 1,200-1,300 sites involve big projects that are estimated to have project costs over Rs 1,000 crore.

Current norms stipulate that construction work in Mumbai can be undertaken between 6.00 am and 10.00 pm. It was in 2016 that the erstwhile commissioner, Ajoy Mehta, had issued a circular extending construction timings by four hours up to 10 pm, as part of its ‘Ease of Business Doing’ policy. Prior to this, the BMC restricted construction between 7.00 am to 7.00 pm.

However, rising concerns over noise and air pollution propelled by large scale construction and redevelopment activity, has left the newly elected house of representatives to re-consider the revised timings. According to civic body documents, three time BJP corporator Alka Kelkar – who also served as deputy mayor – proposed that the prescribed timing for redevelopment and infrastructure projects must be changed and permitted only between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm.

“Despite the restriction, developers and contractors continue to work beyond prescribed hours. The noise of machinery used for such construction work disturbs peace at night as well as disturbs the sleep of elderly, kids and the sick. Besides this, owing to lack of supervision, developers also turn a blind eye to the rules pertaining to construction activity, and flout norms like sprinkling of water,” said Kelkar in a proposal which is slated to be tabled before the general body for deliberation on March 17.

Amid several experts and studies linking pollution levels to rising construction dust in the city, the BMC has launched a crackdown against construction sites with daily inspections of the implementation of its 28-point
guidelines by ward level staffers.

On February 26, state minister Pankaja Munde informed that authorities have issued 1,981 show-cause notices and 1,047 stop-work notices to construction sites violating norms between October 2025 and January 2026. Of the 2,224 active sites, nearly 88 percent sites have installed low-cost air quality sensors until January.

Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai’s residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)

Specialized Focus: Nayonika’s reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India’s largest metropolitan area.

Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:

Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).

Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).

Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai’s hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.

Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.

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