Are Construction Sites Ignoring Pollution Regulations?, ET RealEstate
GURUGRAM: Numerous large-scale construction and demolition (C&D) projects in the state are yet to comply with registration requirements on the govt web portal, despite previous directives issued by Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
The portal, inaugurated by the state govt in Jan 2022 for real-time monitoring of pollution levels at C&D sites, is yet to witness registration from a substantial number of such sites, “which is a matter of grave concern”.
The objective of this registration is to facilitate remote monitoring of dust mitigation measures at construction sites, officials said.
A total of 1,109 C&D projects, each one encompassing an area of 500 square metres or more, in Haryana have so far registered on the portal dedicated to dust control, they said.
Out of the total, Gurgaon boasts the highest numbers with 398, followed by Bahadurgarh (127), Faridabad (109), Ballabgarh (102) and Sonipat (80).
“There are 1,109 sites registered on the portal, out of which 854 are operational and 255 have concluded the construction activities,” HSPCB regional officer for Gurgaon Nirmal Kashyap said.
When enquired about the plans of the C&D sites to ensure compliance and registration, the HSPCB official said that the board has requested civic agencies to share building plan data of these sites, enabling it to “cross-reference with environment clearance documents and identify non-registered sites”.
“We have advised against issuing building plans and completion certificates to sites that fail to adhere to the prescribed norms,” Kashyap said.
Officials said it is “imperative” that the civic bodies take this directive seriously and work assiduously to register all eligible construction sites soon.
Civic bodies have been provided with a checklist for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures in NCR, which will be carried out through this online mechanism.
The list of dust control/mitigation measures includes the utilisation of anti-smog guns, water pills, water cannons, hoses, fire hydrants and sprinklers.
As per the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), it is also obligatory for these sites to install PM2.5 and PM10 sensors that provide live feed to the portal.
The portal, which features a live dashboard to reflect ambient air quality status at specific sites, was launched as per CAQM’s directions issued on Oct 1, 2021.
The CAQM direction had stated, “All projects (on plot area equal to or greater than 500sqm) of construction and demolition in NCR have to mandatorily register at the web portal. Along with this, provision for video fencing equipped with remote connectivity technology will be incorporated in the web portal for effective and round-the-clock monitoring of compliance of dust mitigation measures by the project proponents.”
“It is mandatory for the proponents to install reliable and economical PM2.5 and PM10 sensors at the sites and link them to a platform with live dashboard accessibility for the pollution control board to monitor the activities,” the direction said.
After getting the data from the civic agencies, the officials might have some clarity on how many sites have not registered or about the compliance of dust mitigation measures. The follow-up action may be taken after that.
