The state government on Monday announced in the Legislative Council that it will form an expert committee to draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent mishaps at under-construction buildings and other infrastructure project sites.
The announcement was made by industries minister Uday Samant in the Legislative Council while relaying to a Calling Attention motion moved by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sunil Shinde.
Samant’s announcement comes just three days after the Bombay HC directed the BMC to formulate norms on safety requirements at construction sites. In February, two pedestrians died after a heavy stone attached to a construction crane fell from the 42nd floor of an under-construction highrise building on the victims at Dr E Moses Road in Worli. The Worli police later arrested the contractor and two workers for allegedly causing death by negligence.
Shinde had moved the motion over the death of two pedestrians after bricks fell down from an under-construction building in Worli last month. Samant informed the council that the company which owned the building had offered to pay Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of two victims.
“This incident occurred on February 12, 2023 at night. The high court was hearing a similar case and has already directed to set up a technical committee. So a committee will be formed to suggest measures for the safety of pedestrians at under-construction building and project sites. This committee will create a detailed policy on this,” Samant said.
Shinde alleged that there were rising incidents of objects falling from under-construction buildings across the state, adding that the Worli building where the incident occurred had several irregularities. “We will examine all issues that have been raised by the MLCs,” Samant said but refused to stay the ongoing construction work.
Deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council, Neelam Gorhe, directed the opposition MLCs to submit a draft of the expected SOP to the government and directed Samant to incorporate suggestions and come out with a comprehensive SOP at the earliest.
