Against the backdrop of deteriorating air quality in the national Capital due to pollution, the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) has come out with guidelines to curb pollution from construction sites, including keeping the ground at construction sites wet and covering vehicles that carry construction material.
NBCC CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal on Thursday directed its contractors not to use open trucks and to transport building materials only in steel containers, as part of efforts to reduce dust pollution.
According to reports, around 8 to 10 per cent of the total pollution in the city was due to construction sites. NBCC is engaged in the redevelopment of Pragati Maidan into a state-of-the-art integrated exhibition-cum-convention centre that cost Rs 2,254 crore and redevelopment of seven Government colonies in Delhi. Besides it is also engaged in several projects here.
NBCC -- which has an order book worth Rs 80,000 crore -- has directed that transportation of sand, grit, cement and other construction materials would only be in permanently closed vehicles covered by tarpaulin sheets.
“NBCC has made it mandatory to seek approvals of the environmental management plan, inclusive of dust mitigation measures, before the implementation of any building or infrastructure project requiring environmental clearance,” Mittal said.
The transportation and storage of cement and fly ash would be in closed silos, besides absolute prohibition of grinding and cutting of building materials, as per the guidelines.
Sprinkling of water, using black top for paving the roads leading to construction site, washing of truck tyres in addition to controlling the speed limit of the vehicle and proper barricading at project site as per CPCB norms are among the other directions.
The guidelines also issued for removal of construction wastages from the work site immediately after completion of concerned work(s) at site; sprinkling of water; using black top for paving the roads leading to construction site; washing of truck tyres in addition to controlling the speed limit of the vehicle; proper barricading at site as per CPCB norms; and availability of Pollution check machines at all work sites to monitor the pollution level of diesel/petrol/CNG operated vehicles.