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Home > Mumbai > Mumbai News > Article > Mumbai MPCB asks BMC to stop events at Shivaji Park

Mumbai: MPCB asks BMC to stop events at Shivaji Park

Updated on: 04 February,2025 10:34 AM IST  |  Mumbai
A Correspondent |

Tells civic body to submit report on results of grass plantation on the maidan by April this year; in a letter to the civic body, MPCB ordered that no persons or agencies be allowed to dig the ground for installation of pandals which serves as a popular venue for political and social events

Mumbai: MPCB asks BMC to stop events at Shivaji Park

Residents of Shivaji Park meet MPCB officials including Member Secretary Dr Avinash Dhakne (centre left) and Chairman Suddesh Kadam (centre right) to discuss the issue

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The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the BMC to follow strict dust mitigation guidelines for Shivaji Park in Dadar. In a letter to the civic body, MPCB ordered that no persons or agencies be allowed to dig the ground for installation of pandals which serves as a popular venue for political and social events. It also ordered the development of a grass patch on a small area of the ground and asked for a report to be submitted by April 2025. The MPCB warned the civic body of legal action without further notice if it failed to comply with the orders in the stipulated time period.


MPCB’s Regional Officer (Mumbai) Ravindra Andhale issued the written order to the deputy municipal commissioner, environment department, on Monday. The letter stated, “It was agreed unequivocally that the removal of red soil from Shivaji Park is not feasible. The BMC should use suitable grass species with deep root systems that can stabilise the soil and enhance its fertility and plant native species of large trees around the ground to prevent wind-driven dust. The project should be conducted in consultation with a professional curator. Small patches of grass shall be developed within one month, and based on the results, full-scale grass plantation shall be carried out for the entire park—excluding the cricket pitch areas— before the monsoon season.”


The MPCB also asked the BMC to submit a report by the end of April 2025, along with a final plan of action which shall include the type of grass planted, time period required to plant the grass for the entire park (except cricket pitches), details of maintenance schedule and the team involved, and the source of water for the said work. The BMC is to inform all stakeholders, including local residents, sports clubs, and environmental authorities about implementation of the ongoing plan.


The MPCB has asked the civic body to use treated sewage water for grass irrigation. If necessary, the BMC will need to provide a small sewage treatment plant at Shivaji Park to ensure sustainable availability of water. The BMC had consulted Prof. Virendra Sethi from IIT Bombay’s Environmental Science and Engineering Department who after a study, suggested the development of a grass cover instead of removing soil layers from the ground. “Developing greenery was tried earlier as well, but it didn’t yield any results. Now it has become clear that we will suffer from dust issues till the next monsoon,” local resident Prakash Belwade said.

MPCB Chairman Siddesh Kadam met with residents of area to discuss the issue. He assured them that the MPCB would closely monitor the implementation of these measures and receive regular updates from the municipal corporation.

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