Construction Sites Are Never Covered with Tarpaulin

Chandan Singh, from Hermu in Jharkhand, works at a construction site on Golf Course road. He handles cement with his bare hands and says he finds it hard to breath due to the dust. “All my life I have worked at construction sites. As these sites are spreading, it is sometimes difficult to sleep and people here cough for months,” he says. In the absence of measures to control pollution from construction sites, thousands of labourers like Chandan have to survive in hazardous conditions every day.

According to the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) guidelines, civic authorities should take measures to ensure toxins from construction machinery and vehicles, and construction dust are not released in the air. Similarly, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) ordered that for construction activity beyond 2 lakh sqft, clearance has to be taken from the government on 70 environmental safety parameters notified by MoEF.

As per construction norms, sites should be covered with a tarpaulin sheet to prevent spread of dust. But on ground, these norms are nowhere to be seen. “Only by implementing norms can the pollution levels be reduced. Though several factors are responsible for air pollution, dust from construction sites in the region is a major contributor,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), CSE.

Read the full article @ Hindustan Times