The Blunt Times Impact : Surat Municipal Corporation Turns Red Eye on Dust Pollution in Jahangirabad

Surat : The Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) West Zone has sprung into action following a report published in the The Blunt Times highlighting the plight of residents in Jahangirabad due to severe dust pollution along the RCC canal road.

In response, SMC’s West Zone officials were promptly directed by top authorities to carry out a survey of ongoing real estate projects in Jahangirabad. This initiative has resulted in health officials raiding Balar Homes, a project by DCK real estate group, and imposing fines on trucks involved in soil transportation for violating pollution norms.

Mukesh Patel, a sanitary inspector of SMC’s West Zone, informed FPJ, “The owners of Balar Homes have been penalized for the dust pollution on the canal road. The real estate group is developing a residential project in Jahangirabad, and dozens of trucks have been mobilized to transport soil excavated from the ground to other locations.”

According to Patel, the owners of Balar Homes have also been warned of potential stern actions if they continue to violate pollution norms. He added, “We will mobilize sweeper machines to clean the entire one-kilometer stretch from the Dmart junction to the Canal Road leading to the Radiant International School. The costs of this cleanliness campaign will be borne by the real estate group.”

Senior SMC officials have taken a strong stance on the issue. They have issued strict instructions to realtors in the city to ensure that trucks transporting soil, stone chips, sand, and other construction materials are adequately covered during transit. Many realtors hire contractors for soil excavation, and some of them engage in illegal activities, contributing to the pollution problem.

The residents of Jahangirabad have breathed a sigh of relief following the SMC’s intervention against real estate developers. Raju Patel, a resident of Jahangirabad, expressed his relief, saying, “The transportation of soil from the construction site has been halted following the SMC officials’ raid on Friday morning. There is no longer a movement of trucks in the area. We hope that the dust pollution dissipates following the SMC’s proactive actions.”

“SMC’s action has sent  a strong message to real estate developers about the importance of adhering to pollution norms in their construction projects. The residents of Jahangirabad can now look forward to cleaner air and improved living conditions in their neighborhood”  said Hitesh Thakkar, a resident of Jahangirabad.