Delhi assembly panel tells MCDs to curb dust, cut pollution

MLA Ajay Dutt, who is a member of the committee, said all the three MCDs have been asked to submit an action plan for reducing dust pollution. The DPCC has been asked to take strict action against individual officers responsible for rising dust levels in Delhi, he said.

The environment committee of the Delhi assembly on Monday summoned the commissioners of the three municipal corporations (MCDs) and asked them to submit action plans within seven days to curb dust levels and check air pollution.

Dense smog is seen because of increase of concentration of pollutants in the air at Delhi. (ANI)

The House panel headed by Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Kalkaji MLA Atishi also directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to take strict action against errant officers so that accountability is fixed for the anti-pollution measures.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Atishi said that the MCD officials failed to give basic details with regard to roads and mechanical sweeping in the areas within their jurisdiction.

“Environment Committee summoned the 3 MCDs today regarding rising dust levels and air pollution in Delhi, and sought an explanation as to why mechanical sweeping was not being done. The negligence of all the three MCDs was shocking,” Atishi tweeted on Monday.

“None of the MCDs even knew the total length of roads in their corporation area they are meant to sweep mechanically. There is no mechanism for fines or penalties in case the contractor running the machine does not clean the prescribed area,” she said in another tweet.

The commissioners of the three MCDs did not comment on the matter.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the Delhi government and the assembly panel headed by Atishi are “targeting the BJP-ruled MCDs as part of its political agenda” ahead of the upcoming municipal polls in 2022.

“The BJP stands committed to ensure clean environment in Delhi and BJP ruled civic bodies will cooperate with the Delhi government on such matters. But it sad to see the Delhi Assembly’s environment committee carrying out a hidden political agenda against the BJP ruled civic bodies by raising a new issue every other day,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

“Everybody knows civic bodies are facing an economic crunch. The SDMC collects and gives crores of rupees of environment cess from vehicles entering in Delhi to the Delhi government which lie unspent for years. If the environment committee head, Atishi, is actually concerned to control dust pollution, she should ask the Delhi government to hand over funds of the environment cess to the civic bodies to ensure proper mechanical and manual sweeping in the city,” he said.