NEW DELHI: For flouting dust control norms, 286 construction sites have been slapped with penalties to the tune of Rs 9 lakh. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that the city pollution watchdog found violations at the sites across the city, all of which were fined for the same.
The violations were found by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) teams inspecting under-construction sites under the Delhi government’s anti-dust campaign that was launched on October 7. The drive will continue till October 29. The campaign was launched under the city government’s Winter Action Plan to combat the annual spike in pollution levels during this time.
“The DPCC teams visited 1,105 construction sites so far. While most sites are following norms, some have not complied with the directions. We won’t tolerate violations. All construction agencies must take up construction work following anti-dust norms or prepare for strict action,” said Rai.
He said that the anti-dust campaign was being run to save the people of Delhi from the dangers of severe air pollution. “All DPCC teams have been given clear instructions to submit day-to-day reports of the situation on the ground. Instructions were also given that strict action will be taken against every single agency causing dust pollution,” said Rai.
Dust emissions contribute largely to Delhi’s overall pollution levels. PM 10 (Coarse particles) — one of the lead pollutants in Delhi — is mainly generated from dust. Rai also urged citizens to come forward to report any complaints related to dust or any kind of activity leading to air pollution on its Green Delhi app.
“Immediate action is taken on the complaints received on the app. It is an appeal to all people to download the Green Delhi app on their mobiles and use it to participate in the fight against pollution,” he said. Under the campaign, 31 teams have been formed, which are working in different areas to monitor construction agencies are following the guidelines issued by the government and report any irregularities.