Gujarat Govt To Soon Announce Policy To Tackle Dust Pollution From RMC Plants

There has been a significant increase in construction activities in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, mainly because of the need for new infrastructure. To speed up these projects, a number of RMC plants were set up, but their operation led to a noticeable increase in air pollution in these cities.

Consequently, the state government has asked the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to formulate a policy to address the issue. At times, the GPCB has issued show-cause and closure notices to the polluting RMC plants, but their operators complain that shutting them down would delay several infrastructure projects.

In a bid to address the concerns raised by all sides, the government is considering regulating the operation of RMC plants. Environment department sources said the GPCB has initiated the necessary groundwork for formulating a policy, which may include imposition of stricter controls on transportation of materials to and out of RMC plants. There is a possibility that the operator will be held liable if dust particles from the RMC plant escape to residential areas.

The policy is expected to be announced in the coming days and will be implemented immediately.

While the GPCB has granted approval to 659 RMC plants to operate across the state, sources in the pollution control body suggested that there were morethan 5,000 such plants operating in the state without proper approvals.

How RMC Plants Operate?

In the traditional construction method, the concrete mix is prepared at the construction site. But RMC plants are set up at a different location and then the cement mixture is transported to the construction site in heavy vehicles. Using ready-to-use mixture means the product is delivered finished, on demand, in the specific quantity required. This saves time and labour cost. It saves cost also by reducing wastage of cement. Usually, an RMC plant is expected to reduce construction dust. However, often these plants flout pollution norms.

Not only the cement-sand-gravel mixture produced at these plants causes air pollution, its transportation in heavy vehicles also disperses pollutants in the air and adds to the environmental degradation. These pollutants cause various respiratory ailments and skin irritation to those living closer to the RMC plants.

Puja Rawal, 47 and a homemaker, says she has developed allergic bronchitis for the past one year and is under treatment of a pulmonologist. Just 300 metres from her residence in Ahmedabad’s Ghuma extension, an RMC plant operates, causing significant dust and air pollution in the area. It’s not clear what safety norms the plant follows; whatever those are have proved inadequate, she says.

For Nitin Joshi, who lives in Shela extension of Ahmedabad, the situation is no different. The 40-year-old says the RMC plants in his area have caused so much damage that he regularly suffers from coughing and has to take medicines three times a day. He feels some relief until the medicines work. Once the effect subsides, the coughing turns chronic. There are 3-4 RMC plants operational in his area, he adds.

Senior physician Praveen Garg, who runs a hospital in Ahmedabad, says dust pollution from cement can lead to serious health complications. In the short-term, inhaling polluted air can cause vomiting, anxiety, eye irritation, and breathing difficulties. In cases of prolonged exposure, it can result in respiratory disorders, including asthma. Asthma is a prevalent issue and, beyond that, it can lead to skin diseases and even sickness related to sinuses.

What’s Being Done?

A number of residents have filed complaints with the authorities, seeking closure of RMC plants operating in their neighbourhood. Some suggested that these plants be moved outside the city limits, where the health hazards would be minimal. But the plant operators have opposed the idea, saying doing so would lead to transportation cost overruns and make the plants unfeasible. Besides, transporting the concrete mix in heavy vehicles would still cause air pollution.

GPCB Chairman RB Barad acknowledges that the dust problem is a significant one with RMC plants. Currently, the norms mandate that these plants are not established within 250 metres from public properties like hospitals, schools and roads. But these seem to be falling short of addressing the problem.

Barad said the GPCB has set up a committee of technical officers from the pollution control board and it is looking into the matter holistically and taking feedback from all stakeholders. A policy will be formed based on its recommendations. For now, it has suggested elevating the stack height of the plants and increasing water sprinkling to control dust pollution.

Chirag Bhimani, a former environmental engineer with GPCB, says installing suction units for sand filtration and cement loading can effectively mitigate dust pollution. He also suggested preventative measures like water sprinkling, sand filtration, proper handling of cement during transportation, wheel washing, and paving the roads around the plant and the construction site.