NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has proposed installation of three real-time monitors and CCTV cameras at every construction site larger than 20,000 square metres. This is part of the new rules framed to control dust pollution in the capital.
The data from the real-time particulate monitor will be directly sent to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which will in turn alert the project proponent if the pollutant concentration is above the defined threshold.
A fine will be imposed if the project proponent doesn’t take corrective steps. The penalty will be increased if no action is taken within a stipulated time. The draft guidelines say the DPCC will order work at the site to be stopped if no remedial action is taken within 24 hours of the first warning. It will also revoke the environmental clearance granted to the project if “any tampering of equipment or data is identified”.
The draft rules also require project proponents to submit a bank guarantee to the DPCC, which will be equal to one per cent of the project cost. A seven-member committee — set up by the government to explore the feasibility of a proposal to monitor dust emissions at construction sites and assess its impact on nearby areas — had suggested that reference-grade analysers be used to initiate the monitoring process.
The project proponent will have to install three real-time monitors at a height of five to seven metres to avoid local impact. To know the source of pollution, a certain number of video cameras should be installed at the site by the project proponent. The air quality data generated by on-site analysers will be compared with data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations. The DPCC will use software with standardised rules to determine the difference in the pollutant concentration.
If the hourly-average value of PM2.5 and PM10 at the construction site is greater than the level at the nearest CAAQMS, an automated warning will be sent out to the project proponent to identify the source and take remedial measures within three hours.