MUMBAI: Following
Thursday's 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't cause nuisance.
"We 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's pollution levels,'' said a senior official of BMC's
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.
"RMC 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,''
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
A comprehensive control system consisting of equipment to check
generation of emissions should be installed
To prepare their own environment report of sorts on ambient air, water
and noise levels at site
No waste water containing cement slurry should be allowed to be flushed
into municipal drains
Site material should be transported through fully-covered vehicles
Labour gangs should not be allowed to cause commotion
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Civic_body_to_tighten_construction_norms_/articleshow/
3457181.cms
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© 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.
