Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has told the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) to take an active role in curbing construction dust before the coming dry season, when air pollution in Dhaka and across the country worsens. At a review meeting with REHAB at the ministry on 12 October he also urged a gradual shift from bricks to eco-friendly blocks, Sarabangla reports.
His instructions include properly enclosing construction sites, covering soil, sand and other materials, covering vehicles in transit, and cleaning the wheels of vehicles carrying materials or waste before they enter roads. Sites and their surroundings should be sprayed with water at least twice a day, more often when dust is heavy, and construction waste should be removed quickly rather than left in the open or burned. Materials should not be left on roads and footpaths where they block people and raise dust.
State Minister for Environment Sheikh Faridul Islam said dust control must be part of the daily routine on every project, with officers assigned to supervise it, and asked REHAB members to plan block use project by project.
REHAB president Dr Ali Afzal and senior vice-president Md Abdur Razzak asked the government to ensure block quality and to make sure switching from bricks to blocks does not raise costs.
The meeting also discussed targets and a timetable for block use in new residential and commercial projects, coordination with RAJUK and other authorities, making block use part of the building code and design approvals, and rationalising VAT, taxes and import duties on block raw materials.
Photo: air pollution in Dhaka. Photo: Mirza Khalid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Sarabangla
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