NEW DELHI: In a bid to curb pollution and improve air quality in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), issued fresh guidelines to construction sites to keep dust and air pollution in check.
These include private real estate construction sites and infrastructural project sites in the megacity.
According to the guidelines, project proponents must ensure the erection of at least 35 feet high tin/metal sheets around the periphery of construction projects exceeding 70 meters in height. All under-construction buildings must be enclosed by green cloth, jute sheets, or tarpaulin from all sides.
The guidelines have also mandated construction sites to install CCTV cameras along their periphery to monitor vehicles and ensure they are not overloaded or transporting the material without cleaning their tires.
Additionally, construction activities involving grinding, cutting, drilling, sawing, and trimming will have to be conducted in enclosed areas. Continuous water sprinkling or fogging will also be required during these activities to prevent the escape of fugitive air.
The BMC has also made it obligatory for various government and semi-government authorities to follow these guidelines. Among the authorities, the list has included Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development, Maharashtra Industrial Development Authority, Airport Authority of India, Railways, among others.
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The guidelines have also stated that bridges and flyovers which are being constructed by the municipal body will need to have a barricading of 25 feet, while all construction sites need to deploy sensor-based air pollution monitors and take immediate action if pollution levels exceed limits. Monitoring data should be made available for inspection by BMC authorities upon request.
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Moreover, the guidelines have also instructed Assistant Commissioners to arrange for special teams, according to their wards, to prevent illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste at night. The enforcement squad will conduct site visits, recording worksites through video, and they may have the right to issue stop-work notices or seal a site, if any violation is observed.