Defence ministry orders halt to Mumbai construction near military sites without NOC
India's defence ministry has ordered an immediate stop to all construction projects near defence establishments in Mumbai unless a local military authority's no-objection certificate has been obtained. The directive, being enforced by the state urban development department, threatens to stall over 1
India's defence ministry has ordered an immediate halt to all construction projects near defence establishments in Mumbai, even those cleared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) or other government agencies, if the local military authority's no-objection certificate (NOC) has not been obtained. The state urban development department (UDD) wrote to the BMC commissioner on Wednesday, instructing the civic body to enforce the directive and stop work on projects granted approvals without the required defence NOC.
The order has shaken the city's real estate sector, particularly in suburban belts close to ordnance depots. Industry sources warned the decision could stall dozens of ongoing developments and deepen uncertainty that has persisted for years for homebuyers and developers. Yomesh Rao, president of the Practising Engineers, Architects & Town Planners Association (India), said there are more than 120 projects in Malad-Kandivli alone at various stages of construction, with at least 50 more in the pipeline, some of which have already been razed.
Rao said the fallout would be severe for both builders and families who have already booked homes in these projects. “This uncertainty has been lingering for more than 16 years now. Nobody seems to be sure what exactly is needed and what exactly needs to be done,” he said. The UDD's communication instructed authorities to ensure that the defence ministry's NOC guidelines are followed “in the larger interest of safeguarding the security concerns of the armed forces”.
The letter from the UDD also pointed to regulatory confusion surrounding defence-related clearances. It stated that there is currently no operative defence ministry circular governing NOC requirements and that planning authorities are not required to insist on a defence NOC unless explicitly mandated under the Works of Defence Act, 1903, or any other applicable law. The defence ministry, however, replied that its NOC guidelines remain applicable, reiterating that local military authority (LMA) clearances are still required.
The dispute has played out on the ground in Mumbai in recent years. In 2024, the BMC declined to issue a stop-work notice to an under-construction project in Kandivli (East) after the Indian Army's Central Ordnance Depot (COD) directed that work be halted on a Godrej Properties project on Akurli Road. The COD had objected, claiming the site was within 500 metres of the perimeter wall of the Kandivli ordnance depot.
Rules governing construction near defence installations have shifted repeatedly. In January 2023, the defence ministry announced significant relief for civilians living near naval installations across India, including Mumbai, by reducing the restricted construction zone from 500 metres to 50 metres. That relaxation, however, was later kept in abeyance, reviving uncertainty over redevelopment and new construction in affected areas. Since 2016, the Times of India has highlighted the difficulties faced by thousands of families living around Army and Navy installations in Mumbai, where buildings falling within the 500-metre zone have faced hurdles in redevelopment.
