Bombay HC Mandates High-Rise Safety Norms Across Maharashtra After Repeated Construction Accidents

Mumbai: Noting that safety requirements at all high-rise and large public construction projects is “non-negotiable” and of “vital public interest”, the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to implement an expert committee’s safety recommendations at such construction sites, across the state.

Order Follows Recent Accidents

The order came after the court “resurrected” proceedings from a March 2023 case on safety lapses at high-rise construction sites. The revival followed an August 5 accident at the Metro Line 5 (Thane–Bhiwandi–Kalyan) site in Bhiwandi, where an iron tie rod fell from an under-construction overhead structure onto an autorickshaw, grievously injuring a passenger. In the 2023 case, two bystanders had been killed when a cement block fell from the 52nd floor of a building in Worli.

Expressing anguish over “repeated safety breaches,” a bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor noted that although an expert safety committee had been formed after the 2023 tragedy, its recommendations had not been circulated to all planning authorities. The court reiterated its earlier observation that “none of the high-rise constructions in the city of Mumbai should make people vulnerable and prone to such accidents in which innocent people would get hurt or lose their lives.” It added that exposing people to such risks in public areas violated their fundamental right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Expert Committee Report Highlights Risks

The committee’s report — Special Safety Control Recommendations for Working at Heights During High-Rise Construction — details Mumbai’s growing vertical skyline, noting 181 buildings above 150 metres, 47 above 200 metres, and 24 above 250 metres. The tallest, Lokhandwala Minerva, stands at 301.6 metres, while 416 more high-rises over 150 metres are under construction.

While advanced construction technologies have been adopted, the report warns of frequent negligence and the absence of rules tailored to high-rise safety. Falling debris, equipment collisions, and breakages have endangered pedestrians, motorists, and residents near such sites, it said.

Directives for Implementation

Calling the report of “immense public interest,” the court directed the Mumbai Municipal Corporation to implement it “in letter and spirit” by incorporating its measures into building permissions. The same must be done by all planning authorities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and other cities in Maharashtra where similar projects are underway.

The principal secretary, Urban Development Department (UDD), has been ordered to issue directives within ten days to ensure implementation by all municipal corporations, planning bodies, and public authorities undertaking high-rise or substantial-height projects. The report is also to be published on the websites of all municipal corporations, planning authorities, and the state’s UDD.

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Monitoring and Updates

The court said authorities may update the recommendations to keep pace with modern techniques “so as to ensure that the best possible safety measures are adhered to” on such projects. The court has kept the matter to check compliance on August 22.