NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, announced on Monday the initiation of an ‘Anti-Open Burning Campaign’ in the city, scheduled to run from November 14 to December 14. A total of 611 teams have been deployed to work around the clock, monitoring and preventing open-burning incidents.
Rai directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Deputy Commissioners to conduct a special drive targeting hotspots. Additionally, he emphasized the continuation of the Anti-Dust campaign from November 14 to November 30 in response to the escalating pollution levels, convening a review meeting with senior officers of the Environment Department and DPCC.
In relation to the Anti-Dust campaign, Minister Rai reported that the teams had inspected approximately 20,000 construction sites, issuing notices and challans to 1161 sites for violating construction site guidelines, resulting in fines totaling Rs 2.47 crore. The first phase of the Anti-Dust campaign in Delhi, spanning from October 7th to November 7th, saw thorough inspections by 591 teams. The second phase, set to run from November 14th to 30th, involves continuous inspections with instructions for strict adherence to norms by construction agencies.
The minister addressed complaints regarding halted construction sites where materials were left uncovered, leading to potential dust dispersion. Consequently, teams were mandated to monitor these sites rigorously. Minister Rai stressed the need for intensified water spraying, urging all concerned departments to prioritize this measure. Special drives on hotspots were directed by the MCD DCs, with heightened monitoring at 13 designated hotspots within Delhi.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Minister Rai disclosed plans to launch the Anti-Open Burning campaign on November 14th, extending throughout December 14th. A total of 611 teams have been deployed across Delhi for surveillance during this campaign, working around the clock to prevent open-burning incidents. Meanwhile, in the midst of debates on strategies to combat air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi BJP expressed dismay over the negligence of the AAP-led city government.
They pointed out that over Rs 710 crore, collected from commercial vehicles as environmental cess, remains unused. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticized the lack of allocation from the Rs 1,481 crore pollution cess, asserting that not a single rupee had been directed towards addressing pollution causes. Sachdeva suggested potential uses for the funds, such as road improvements, tree planting, stubble management in collaboration with neighboring states, and even exploring artificial rain options to alleviate pollution in the region.
Gurugram schools to reopen after weeklong closure
Classes from nursery to five, which were suspended due to high air pollution levels in the district, are set to resume, authorities said on Monday. The Gurugram administration had on November 6 ordered the closure of primary schools till further orders to protect schoolchildren from rising pollution in the NCR.
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Chairman and Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav has issued orders to withdraw the November 6 decision. Now, primary schools across the district can resume classes in offline mode. In order to avoid disruption, orders were given to school management to continue studies in online mode.