NGT stops noisy construction works during night hours
In his submission, the applicant said the piling work with loud noise was causing a nuisance to senior citizens, school and college students, and also patients or people with ailments.
National Green Tribunal (NGT)
CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a builder to refrain from carrying out pile foundation work for a project in Kilpauk during night hours.
Hearing a case filed by MC Shankar, a resident of Kilpauk, against KLP Projects India Limited and Veda Pile Foundation, justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati passed an interim injunction restraining both firms from carrying out the work between 10 pm and 6 am.
In his submission, the applicant said the piling work with loud noise was causing a nuisance to senior citizens, school and college students, and also patients or people with ailments.
Citing Rule 5A (3) of Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, which says sound-emitting construction equipment shall not be used or operated during nighttime in residential areas and silence zones, the tribunal observed that the builders ignored the objections raised by the residents, which forced the neighbours to complain to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
The TNPCB issued a show cause notice on January 14 stating that the unit was carrying out the construction of a pile foundation for their construction project without obtaining 'Consent for Establishment' from it.
The applicant also stated that there was a hospital within the prohibited distance from the project site. The silence zone is an area comprising not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religious places, or any other area which is declared as such by the competent authority.
Apart from issuing orders to stop the works during night hours, the tribunal also directed the government pleader to communicate the order to the Commissioner of Police to take appropriate action.