Haryana govt asks builders not to cause air pollution

Haryana government today directed the builders to not cause air pollution by allowing emission of dust during construction activities within the state.
"All builders raising any kind of construction in Haryana, will now have to take necessary precautions while carrying out construction to ensure that no activity right from ferrying the construction material and storing it at the site to raising a structure and removing the debris, emits dust or dirt in the air, and causes pollution," a spokesman of Haryana Town and Country Planning Department said.
The builders will have to strictly adhere to and comply with the orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) along with the directions by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, he said.

The NGT has ordered that every builder or owner would put tarpaulin on scaffolding around the area of construction and the building.
No person, including the builder or owner, can be permitted to store any construction material, particularly sand, on any part of the street or roads, in any colony, he said.
The construction material of any kind, stored at the site, will be fully covered in all respects so that it does not disperse in the air.

All the construction material and debris shall be carried in trucks or other vehicles which are fully covered and protected, to ensure that construction debris or material does not get dispersed into the air or in the atmosphere, in any form whatsoever, he said.

Dust emissions from the construction site should be completely controlled along with the precautions. Vehicles carrying construction material and construction debris should be cleaned before it is permitted to ply on the road after unloading of such material, he said.
The labourers working at the construction site involved in loading, unloading and carriage of construction material shall be provided with mask to prevent inhalation of dust particles, he said.
All shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the terms and conditions of the orders are strictly complied with by fixing sprinklers and creations of green air barriers, he said.
In the event of default, one shall be liable to pay compensation for such environmental degradation or for pollution of ambient air quality in NCR, he said.

"If any person, owner or builder is found to be violating any of the conditions shall be liable to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 per default in relation to construction activity at its site, and Rs 5,000 for each violation during the carriage and transportation of construction material, debris through trucks or other vehicles", the spokesman said.