To keep a check on private sporting turfs in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the first time approved a policy to regulate the mushrooming artificial turf and box-cricket grounds across Mumbai.

The policy comes amid a rapid growth of artificial turfs in the city and at a time when a shortage of open recreational spaces has fuelled demand for privately operated sports facilities, with residents raising concerns over late-night games, noise and powerful floodlights.

Moved by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Tejinder Singh Tiwana, the resolution to implement the ‘Advanced Smart Turf Policy’ was cleared by the civic body. A draft proposal will now be formally prepared, which will later be tabled in the civic house for clearance.

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What happens once it’s implemented?

Once implemented, the proposal will likely bring more than 1,500 artificial turfs under a regulatory framework to monitor registration, bookings, safety compliance, operational hours, noise pollution, fire safety, and environmental compliance.

The proposal will also monitor safety measures such as fire permissions and installation of roofs and grills at the turf.

The proposal says that all turf facilities will now have to be registered with the civic body, and their bookings, permissions and revenue-related transactions will be routed through the BMC’s ‘Khelo Mumbai’ app to improve transparency and curb unauthorised commercial operations – all in a first.

Most of these facilities are classified as ‘indoor commercial zones’ based on which the properties on these turfs stand are taxed by the BMC.

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The proposal, citing potential health and environmental risks, calls for a ban on inferior-quality rubber crumb infill and requires the use of environmentally safer alternatives.

Another primary point is to make protective roof nets mandatory at turf facilities, particularly those located near residential areas. The resolution also seeks regular inspections to check noise levels, floodlight glare, traffic-related issues, fire safety and compliance with environmental regulations.

“While making Mumbai a sports-friendly city, we cannot compromise on the health and well-being of its citizens. Our objective is not to shut down turfs, but to bring them into a modern and legal framework,” Tiwana said.