A government portal for the real-time monitoring of pollution levels at construction and demolition (C&D) sites was launched on Monday. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) portal is likely to bridge the gap between regulatory policies and their implementation by allowing timely interventions during those times of the year when the air quality deteriorates.
Created on the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the portal features a live dashboard to reflect ambient air quality status at specific construction sites once the registrations, mandatory for any site that’s more than 500 square metres in area, are complete. The pollution sensors at the registered C&D sites will send data directly to the portal, according to the HSPCB.
Using the portal, the board also plans to check the compliance with dust mitigation measures at the sites and reduce emissions at the source.
On Dec 20, 2021, the CAQM had directed the state to commission a portal to monitor the spike in air pollution during winter, owing to a combination of adverse meteorological factors and local emission sources such as construction and demolition waste, dust, waste burning, vehicular emissions and stubble burning.
“The portal is now functional,” S Narayana, HSPCB secretary, said, adding that all C&D sites of over 500sqm area must register on the portal. The HSPCB does not yet have data on how many C&D sites are over 500sqm, but the registrations will give an approximate idea.
“Additionally, the construction sites should have reliable and economical PM2.5 and PM10 sensors, installed and linked to a platform with live dashboard accessibility for the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), government agencies and the administrative departments concerned,” Nipun, assistant environment engineer, HSPCB, said.
He added that after the registrations, the HSPCB could check if the construction units are following all dust control measures, including covering construction material and debris and using water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to reduce dust emissions. “This will strengthen monitoring of dust control measures at the C&D sites. The regional officers will be going and assessing sites if the live data shows any issue, and penalties can be imposed, accordingly,” he said.
The construction sites have been given a checklist for compliance with the dust mitigation measures in the NCR, including the use of anti-smog guns, water pills, water cannons, hoses, fire hydrants, sprinklers, etc.