KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to crack down on developers, who don’t take steps to mitigate air pollution caused by construction and demolition activities.
Municipal commissioner Binod Kumar on Friday held an urgent meeting with KMC buildings department officials and asked them to sensitize developers about the need to adopt adequate measures to arrest dust particles rising from such activities. Dust increases the particulate matter in the air and creates public health hazards.
Kumar has instructed the KMC buildings and civil engineering department executive engineers to keep a vigil on the construction sites to check whether all precautionary anti-pollution measures are being followed.
According to a West Bengal Pollution Control Board diktat, any developer engaged in construction of housing projects measuring 500 sq metres or more will need to install sensor-based air quality monitoring system (AQMS) for effective, round-the-clock monitoring of dust pollution, especially PM10, PM 2.5, at the sites.
This apart, the developers should cover the construction or demolition sites and sprinkle water to prevent dust from blowing. In case of demolition, the disposal of debris should be done in accordance with the pollution norms.
The construction and demolition waste will need to be handed over to the KMC solid waste management department that will take it (waste) to a plant at Rajarhat.
According to a KMC official, any violation will invite penalties, ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 50,000 per day, depending on construction size. “All building sites should be covered, materials need to be properly staked,” said Kumar.
