Key highlights: Focus on what Mnister Piyush Goyal called for
- Urged a shift to precast and steel construction to reduce dust pollution
- Called construction dust a major contributor to urban air pollution
- Asked for policy-driven encouragement, not just bans on traditional construction
- Suggested financial incentives and concessions for developers using cleaner methods
- Shared personal intervention of removing RC mixers to cut dust in his constituency
- Proposed state–centre coordination with Maharashtra CM for faster implementation
Referring to the dust emissions during construction work, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, demanded in a meeting of businessmen and office-bearers of housing societies in Adarsh Complex, Malad West, that construction activities in Mumbai and other cities of the country be made more and more in the precast and steel construction technique.
“Construction dust is a major source of pollution in cities,” Goyal said in an address to the gathering prior to the Mumbai civic body elections held on January 15. He pointed out the use of traditional concrete mixers in other countries with the majority of structures being steel and precast structures. “Everywhere in the world, concrete mixers are not used. You see steel and precast structures. They are slightly more costly, but the difference is enormous from the point of pollution," he said.
Minister Goyal has suggested that whereas there were strict bans on polluting construction processes, a policy initiative to create a consensus on precast and steel construction processes in the construction industry would have worked better. In fact, Goyal has mentioned an experience from his own constituency when he removed “four to five RC mixers to cut down dust pollution.”
Highlighting the possible role of government support, the minister has proposed that there could be financial concessions and incentives for developers who opt for cleaner methods of construction. The minister stated that he would be discussing this with the Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis, because a joint effort would result in faster implementation for the benefit of the environment and the construction sector.
Precast and steel construction techniques have already proved the effectiveness of their processes in reducing wastage in the construction site itself, minimizing the emission of dust and debris, and completing projects faster compared to conventional RC construction. According to an expert's views on the matter, "Comparatively high construction costs will be offset in the long run by improved air quality and reduced health risks and maintenance expenses.”
Indeed, in a metropolitan area such as Mumbai, where the pollution and population densities pose an alarming threat, construction approaches exemplified by this technique could provide the necessary impetus for sustainable development.
Besides the need for construction policies in the sector to be reformed, Goyal emphasized the relevance of improved planning in cities. Municipal authorities should set aside public land for religious and cultural events as well as sports programs in order to avoid haphazard use that could pose a burden on the infrastructure of the cities.
Even as the subject matter in this interaction revolved around local issues, Goyal did make a mention of his international commitments, in which he took part in a discussion for a India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Brussels, but he made clear that in a municipal body meeting, he was more intent on addressing local issues in the urban setting.
Minister Goyal's statement can be attributed to the increasing focus on sustainable construction in urban areas and the role of the government in promoting environmentally conscious construction practices. Since dust generated during construction in cities is one of the prime factors for air pollution in any region, the use of precast and steel construction methods might not only help in improving air purity but could be beneficial in increasing the efficiency of the construction business as well.z
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