Environment Management & Mitigation Plan in Belavali, Badlapur.

In Belavali the management plan must address the river both during construction and after it. Excavation, stockpiles and site stores must stay off flood-prone ground, no silt should reach the drains running to the Ulhas, and the finished layout needs drainage that copes with a night of heavy rain. We write plans that set out each measure, name one person on site to answer for it, and schedule checks before every monsoon and after every flood.

Belavali lies in Badlapur West, on lower ground towards the Ulhas as the river passes the town. It grew from a village into a residential area of mid-rise buildings, and new layouts continue to rise on fields that were cultivated within living memory. The river is close, and in heavy monsoons its water has reached streets and ground floors, most memorably in the floods of July 2019. Old trees still line village roads and field boundaries. For many families here, the riverbank is the nearest open ground, used for walks and, too often, for dumping.