Goyal seeks incentives for precast, steel construction to curb pollution

Mumbai: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday stressed the need for incentivising precast and steel construction methods to reduce dust pollution during building work.

“All over the world, you don’t see reinforced concrete (RC) mixers. You see steel and precast structures. Maybe they are a bit expensive. I was thinking of discussing this with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on whether we can give concessions and incentives for this,” Goyal said.

He was addressing a meeting of businessmen and housing society office-bearers at Adarsh Complex in Malad West suburb of North Mumbai, ahead of the January 15 municipal corporation elections in Mumbai.

Dust caused during construction work leads to pollution, Goyal said, and called for reinforced concrete (RC) construction “mixers” to be shifted out of the city. “I removed four-five of them from my (parliamentary constituency) area,” Goyal said.

Goyal also suggested that instead of making it mandatory not to use processes causing pollution, efforts should be made to have a consensus among builders to use precast and steel construction methods to check pollution.

The minister, who is BJP’s member of Lok Sabha from North Mumbai, also emphasised the need to allocate public grounds specifically for holding religious, cultural and sports events.