Hopefully our dust-mitigating measures don’t gather dust

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To beat the dust demon created by construction sites, in light of the abysmal air quality the city has been experiencing recently, the BMC is adding a few more measures to its dust-mitigation guidelines. The civic body will make it mandatory to use anti-smoke guns and install sprinklers at construction sites. Officials have blamed deteriorating air quality on rampant construction.

According to the present dust-mitigation guidelines, which were published on April 1 this year, it is mandatory to put 20-foot-high tin or metal sheets around construction sites. An official has been cited in reports stating that they are making it mandatory to use anti-smoke guns at construction sites and install sprinklers. He also stated that they had put out guidelines for construction sites and BMC teams are monitoring enforcement. They said they will publish additional dust-mitigation measures soon.

One guideline also states that debris must also be transported to designated sites approved by the BMC. Vehicle tyres should also be cleaned before they emerge from construction sites. While experts have acknowledged the efforts, they added that these guidelines and new measures must be based on a scientific premise.

We are assuming there is research which has now called for these measures. They must be adhered to. Setting up vague committees and saying action will be taken is obfuscating an issue. There must be specifics about these anti-smoke guns. How many sprinklers are needed? Are personnel trained to use them?

What size of construction sites need these measures? Is there any specific size? All this needs to be spelt out absolutely spot on, then implemented and checked on a regular basis for it to be effective. One cannot help thinking that all those trees cut down for construction would have been our best anti-pollution fighters.