Following MPCB norms, builders to tone down machines, set up sound barriers at construction sites
To reduce noise pollution at construction sites so that residents are not inconvenienced, the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry has asked developers to adhere to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) guidelines.
“Piling, drilling, excavating, laying the foundation and slabs cause a lot of noise pollution. Therefore, these activities have been strictly carried out between 7am to 10pm,” said Paras Gundecha, president, Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry.
“Now, most construction areas are being covered by tarpaulin or tin sheds and sound barriers have been raised.” Gundecha added that developers are checking their machinery and fixing their sound limits as per the guidelines.
Construction sites are usually quite noisy, and disturb nearby residents. Noise pollution can also cause stress, sleep disturbance, high blood pressure and even hearing loss.
Currently, there are around 2,000 constructions sites in the city.
To prevent noise pollution, the European standard sound barriers need to be installed. These barriers are made of expanded clay, PMMA sheets (to avoid opaque view) and perforated aluminium sheets to absorb the excessive noise and limit it to at least 55 decibel as per the norm.
“MPCB officials frequently monitor construction sites and the machines operated there,” said architect Shashikant Jadhav.
“Earlier, most of the work was done manually, so noise pollution was inevitable. Now, several modernised machines are available in the market, such as the Cairn and JCBs, which help reduce the sound level significantly,” said a prominent developer, requesting anonymity.
Welcoming the initiative, activist Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation, which works against noise pollution, pointed out that the MPCB guidelines do not include construction activities. So, she has requested the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to enforce a law to ensure that developers maintain the decibel levels at construction sites.
“Such a law would help reduce noise pollution levels drastically in the city. Penal action should be taken against builders who fail to adhere to the rules,” Abdulali suggested.
Besides noise pollution, developers should also avoid using mammoth equipment that cause vibrations in nearby buildings, the activist said. “If the buildings close to the construction site are old and dilapidated, it could be very dangerous,” she added.Make less noise, MCHI tells developers
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