Ban on Open Burning, Water Sprinkling At Construction Sites: Guidelines to Improve Mumbai Air Quality

In the wake of deteriorating guidelines, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued a 27-point guideline including a complete ban on open burning and water sprinkling on debris at construction sites.

Mumbai’s daily Air Quality Index stood at 157 on Wednesday, as per the daily AQI bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board, a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The air quality in India’s financial capital plummeted due to several factors including ongoing development projects, works of metro, bridges as well as real estate projects, according to Mumbai’s guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar.

Last week, Mumbai’s air quality was worse than Delhi’s, where air quality starts deteriorating every year from October due to several factors including stubble burning in Punjab and other areas, and a drop in temperatures.

India’s richest civic body has deployed mist machines at various locations, including Worli Sea Face, Haji Ali, Peddar Road, Swarajya Bhoomi (Girgaon Chowpatty), Nariman Point, Fashion Street, Badhwar Park, and the World Trade Center to bring down pollution levels.

27-Point BMC Guideline to Combat Air Pollution

• All the project proponents to ensure that at least 35 feet high tin/metal sheets shall be erected around the periphery of construction projects having height more than 70 metres.
• All construction layouts having area of more than one acre shall have tin/metal sheet erected of height 35 feet at least around the periphery of the construction project sites and for construction sites, less than 1 (one) acre, the tin/metal sheet height shall be 25 feet at least.
• All the buildings under construction shall be compulsorily enclosed by green cloth /jute sheet/tarpaulin from all sides.
• All the structures under demolition shall be covered with tarpaulin/green cloth/jute sheet from top to bottom. There shall be continuous sprinkling/spraying of water during the process of demolishing of the structure.
• It shall be ensured that water fogging shall be carried out during the loading and unloading of materials at the construction sites (use of stationary/ mobile antismog guns).
• The water sprinkling shall be done on debris/earth material etc. which are prone to generate air-borne particulate matter at all construction sites without fail.
• All vehicles carrying construction materials shall be fully covered (i.e. from top and all sides) so that construction material or debris does not become airborne during transportation and the vehicle shall not be overloaded to avoid any spillage from the vehicle.
• All construction sites shall install CCTV cameras along the periphery of their work sites to ensure that vehicles are plying after cleaning tyres and are not overloaded.
• All construction sites to deploy sensor-based air pollution monitors at work sites and act immediately on observing pollution levels exceeding the limit. This monitoring shall be made available for inspection to BMC authorities as and when demanded.
• All the work sites shall ensure that the grinding, cutting, drilling, sawing and trimming work is carried out in enclosed area and water sprinkler/water fogging is continuously done while working to avoid escape of fugitive air.
• All the construction sites shall ensure that c & D (Construction and Demolition) waste generated within the premises/site of work is transported to designated unloading sites strictly as per BMC’s C & D waste management plan. After unloading the debris, the vehicle shall be washed and cleaned thoroughly.
• All vehicles carrying materials shall have valid PUC certificates and the same shall be produced as and when asked for by competent authorities.
• AII the construction personnel/managers shall mandatorily wear personal protective equipment such as masks, goggles, helmets, etc.
• All the BMC worksites like bridges and flyovers shall have barricading of 25 feets.
• All the metro works above ground shall be covered with barricading of 25 feet height. The construction site shall be covered with tarpaulin / green cloth/jute sheet’ The smog guns/water sprinklers shall be used during the construction work.
• The mitigation measures suggested as above shall be mandatorily observed by other agencies like SRA, MHADA, MIDC, MSRDC, MMRDA, BPT, Airport Authority of India, Railways, Govt. or Semi Govt. authorities and private construction sites.
• All Assistant Commissioners in charge of Wards shall arrange to deploy special squads to prevent illegal C & D dumping at late night.
• All Assistant Commissioners in charge of Wards shall deploy squads for air pollution mitigation enforcement comprising Two (Ward) engineers, One Policeman, One marshall, Vehicle. Each squad shall be headed by one senior officer from the ward. The formation and deployment of these squads at Ward level shall be done immediately. The number of squads Ward-wise shall be as follows: Smaller wards (2 squads each ward); Middle size wards (4 squads each ward); Larger size wards (6 squads each ward).
• The enforcement squad shall visit the premises and videograph the worksite. If it is observed that the worksite is not adhering to above stated provisions, stringent action such as issue of Stop Work notice and/or sealing of worksite shall be taken immediately.
• The timeline for procurement of sprinklers shall be 15 days and for procurement of smog guns shall be 30 days from issuance of this circular. All the project proponent/contractors shall abide by the above timelines without fail.
• The vehicles carrying construction material or C & D material, if found not adhering to above stated provisions, shall be seized and impounded.
• The Transport Commissioner shall take action against overloading of vehicle, uncovered vehicles, vehicles spilling construction materials on roads and the heavy duty diesel vehicles which are more than 8 years old shall be strictly prohibited in Mumbai jurisdiction.
• MPCB shall monitor the air pollution emitted from industries such as BPCL, HPCL, RCF, Tata Power, industries in nearby MIDC area etc. daily for next one month and take appropriate action. The daily monitoring data shall be shared with AMC (City) and A.M.C.(W.S.)
• All builders/developers shall engage only those vehicles which possess vehicles tracking system installed on them.
• The loose soil, sand, construction materials and debris of any kind and quantity shall be stored in demarcated/dedicated area and properly barricaded, fully covered/enclosed/protected with tarpaulins. It shall be ensured that there is no dumping of construction material and debris on public roads, footpaths’ pavements and open area.
• Vehicle tyre washing facility shall be provided at all exit points of construction sites. It shall be ensured that daily cleaning is carried out of major roads for removal of dust by using vacuum sweeping or water sprinkling, brushing’ brooming and sweeping. This work may be outsourced to ensure wide and fast coverage of all major roads in one month’s time.
• There shall be complete ban on open burning anywhere in the geographical area under BMC, especially garbage dumping grounds and possible sites of trash burning.