Civic body to tighten construction norms …..Sharad Vyas I TNN
Mumbai: Following Thursday痴 Supreme Court ruling that opened up redevelopment of 16,000 cessed buildings, the BMC fears that pollution levels in the city may jump along with the expected rise in overall construction activity. As a result, it plans to enforce greater restrictions and monitoring of construction sites, which officials said, are likely to come up in numbers as use of unlimited floor space index (FSI) leads to urban chaos.
The civic body is formulating a new set of environment rules for construction sites. The new rules will not only put the onus of carrying out a localised environment assessment report, keeping in mind air, water and noise pollution caused, on the developer, but also make it mandatory for him to erect a 20ft-high cladding or temporary wall around the site to check dust and pollutants.
Besides, the sites will need to have water sprinklers to control suspended particulate matter (SPM) levels. A blanket of thick tree plantation around the site will also be made mandatory. The rules will make sure that any crowding of labourers in gangs is limited so that they don稚 cause nuisance.
展e are expecting a substantial rise in construction activity across the city and this is sure to lead to greater pollution. The situation is going to be worse in the island city where development is cluttered and there are fewer open spaces. However, these norms will keep in check the city痴 pollution levels,鋳 said a senior official of BMC痴 environment department.
Officials said in case of violation of norms, the environment department will hold back or can revoke the NoC given to the developer and also suspend the permit of his on-site ready mix concrete (RMC) plant.
As it is, RMC plants have been a cause of worry for civic officials. This year alone, about 30 to 40 plants have taken an NoC from the ED, but officials say, about 80% of them, in a recent survey, have reported violations and are found to be causing pollution.
迭MC plants have faced much flak from citizens, and we have received several complaints against them, especially in the island city as construction there is cluttered and there is no open space. Unfortunately, in absence of adequate manpower and machinery, the department can only take selective measures against these plants,鋳 said an officials.
Sources in BMC said most plants, working with limited finance, do not maintain good housekeeping on site. Most of them even flush out cement waste and slurry in civic drains, instead of transporting it to safer locations. The new rules, however, have also looked into separate provisions for RMCs so that they do not cause nuisance through their heat, vibration and particulate matters, said officials.
New Environment Rules For Developers
l A comprehensive control system consisting of equipment to check generation of emissions should be installedl To prepare their own environment report of sorts on ambient air, water and noise levels at site
New Environment Rules For Developers
l A comprehensive control system consisting of equipment to check generation of emissions should be installedl To prepare their own environment report of sorts on ambient air, water and noise levels at site
l No waste water containing cement slurry should be allowed to be flushed into municipal drainsl Site material should be transported through fully-covered vehicles
l Labour gangs should not be allowed to cause commotion