Labourers choke on construction dust

NEW DELHI: 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

NEW DELHI: 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.

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According to the Ministry of Environment and 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.

Officials at pollution department admit that workers handle cement with bare hands and do not have face masks or protective head gear.

“We deal strictly with them but implementation is a huge issue because of large-scale construction projects and little awareness,” said Bhupender Singh, district pollution officer.

This shuttering technology uses an aluminium framework with RCC (Reinforced Cement concrete) instead of brick walls. “As the traditional red brick is not used, it generates less dust and lowers pollution levels,” said Parveen Jain, managing director of Tulip, which is using this technology.