Salt Lake: BMC’s Use of Hot-Mix Solution in Salt Lake Raises Pollution Concerns | Kolkata News
Kolkata: Despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning bitumen-melting hot-mix plants, which emit black smoke, for road repairs, the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been using the same in some places in Salt Lake.
On Monday, TOI found contractors using the hot-mix machines to repair the roads inside at AE Block. The area was enveloped in smoke, adding to the discomfort of residents, especially those with COPD and other respiratory issues.“Roads are being repaired finally, but at what cost? The contractors are using black-smoke spewing bitumen melting machines. With AQI levels already high and lung infection cases rising, this is the last thing we need,” said Dev Kumar Maitra, a resident. “The smoke made it difficult to breathe,” said a senior citiz-en living close to the spot wh-ere the machine was set up.
Hot-mix plants are mainly used to mix bitumen with stone aggregate for road repairs. They produce polluted particulate matter, like oxides of sulpher and nitrogen. “The particulate matters in the air is already high in winter, and the smoke from the hot-mix machine further pollutes the air,” said environment scientist Swati Nandy Chakraborty.
BMC officials said usually, cold-mix is used. usually followed. “BMC does not have resources to operate cold mix plants. Contractors bring the materials from Rajarhat. But there may be some cases where, in an emergency, cold-mix is unavailable and a suitable alternative can’t be arranged,” said a BMC official.
Environment activist Su-bhas Dutta said the ban was being violated by civic bodies outside the city area.
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On Monday, TOI found contractors using the hot-mix machines to repair the roads inside at AE Block. The area was enveloped in smoke, adding to the discomfort of residents, especially those with COPD and other respiratory issues.“Roads are being repaired finally, but at what cost? The contractors are using black-smoke spewing bitumen melting machines. With AQI levels already high and lung infection cases rising, this is the last thing we need,” said Dev Kumar Maitra, a resident. “The smoke made it difficult to breathe,” said a senior citiz-en living close to the spot wh-ere the machine was set up.
Hot-mix plants are mainly used to mix bitumen with stone aggregate for road repairs. They produce polluted particulate matter, like oxides of sulpher and nitrogen. “The particulate matters in the air is already high in winter, and the smoke from the hot-mix machine further pollutes the air,” said environment scientist Swati Nandy Chakraborty.
BMC officials said usually, cold-mix is used. usually followed. “BMC does not have resources to operate cold mix plants. Contractors bring the materials from Rajarhat. But there may be some cases where, in an emergency, cold-mix is unavailable and a suitable alternative can’t be arranged,” said a BMC official.
Environment activist Su-bhas Dutta said the ban was being violated by civic bodies outside the city area.
We also published the following articles recently
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