Chennai Corporation Moves to Curb Construction Pollution, Seeks Public Input

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has come out with stringent purification measures against construction-related pollution, announcing draft guidelines that propose penalties of ₹30,000 to ₹5 lakh for violations.

The guidelines, notified Tuesday, include a set of regulations to cut air pollution from construction, including ready-mix concrete and batching plants. Feedback from the public is welcome within 30 days, and recommendations can be emailed to swmcleanconstruction@gmail.com. The draft is accessible on the GCC website (https://chennaicorporation.gov.in/gcc/).

Crackdown on Violations

Violation of the norms in construction projects will be given 15 days to comply with the guidelines once they are approved. If corrective measures are not taken, the civic body may stop construction work at the site. There are three levels of significance for violations in this category: high, medium, and low.

For medium and low-significance breaches, 10 days are allocated to fix the problems. GCC shall carry out on-site inspections, and project records shall be provided upon request. Fines will apply for any breach of it.

Pollution Control Measures

The Construction Sites must follow the below measures:

Barricades: A site up to one acre must be enclosed in six-metre-high tin or metal sheets; sites larger than one acre, buildings over 70 metres high, and ready-mix plants must use 10-metre-high barricades.

Coverings: Construction or demolition works must be wrapped with high-density fabric, tarpaulin or double-layer green nets to control dust emission.

Dust Control: Continuous spraying of water or use of anti-smog guns should be used at dust-emitting sources It requires additional manual or mechanical fogging.

Waste generation: The earth dug from the site and construction waste has to be stored in the site, which should be covered with a 200 GSM tarpaulin to prevent dust resuspension. Forbids any dumping on roads, and footpaths.

Housekeeping: developers should do this regularly to keep dust down.

These measures are part of a larger effort in Chennai to improve air quality and mitigate pollution from rapid urban development.”