AMC Implements Real-Time Dust Monitoring Policy to Curb Pollution

In Ahmedabad, pollution levels have been increasing, especially in air pollution. The newly constructed construction sites are also contributing to the increase in pollution. According to sources from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, it has been observed that pollution is spreading due to flying dust on construction sites. In order to address this, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is preparing the ICLEI-South Asia draft policy. Due to construction sites, pollution has increased by about 16 times in the city. Real-time dust sensors and CCTV cameras will be installed on construction sites, and their direct monitoring will be carried out at the command and control center of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Paldi ward to reduce pollution. How much is the level of pollution? A large LED screen has also been installed to display real-time information. This draft policy is currently being prepared and will be implemented after approval by the corporation’s standing committee. Necessary steps will be taken to control air pollution on construction sites.

The city’s air quality does not meet national standards due to pollution from activities such as demolition, cutting, crushing, drilling, excavation, operation of ready-mix concrete plants, material handling, storage and transfer, and the use of mist machines on construction sites. In areas where new construction sites are present, there are 72% of sites built-up areas ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 square meters, while 24% of sites have built-up areas of 20,000 square meters. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Ahmedabad’s air quality does not meet national standards.

The construction site policy includes the following measures:

1. Installing purple netting to control dust emissions.
2. Implementing dust collection systems or bag filters for dust control.
3. Erecting barriers to block wind and reduce dust dispersion.
4. Providing real-time data feed from CCTV and dust sensors.
5. Limiting daily waste accumulation to less than 20 tons and monthly accumulation to less than 300 tons.
6. Restricting dumpers’ speed to 20 km/h on construction site premises.
7. Constructing paved roads for easy vehicular movement to control dust emissions.
8. Installing air quality monitoring sensors for continuous monitoring of PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and PM100 levels on construction sites located more than 10,000 square meters.
9. Uploading real-time dust pollution data from sensors every 15 minutes and displaying it on LED screens at construction sites.
10. Covering equipment to prevent dust emissions during operations.
11. Installing sprinkler systems for effective dust suppression along with optimized water usage.
12. Installing high-resolution CCTV cameras for surveillance.