Delhi govt launches month-long anti-dust campaign

Delhi environment Gopal Rai said fines ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹5 lakh can be imposed in case of violations of National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday launched a month-long anti-dust campaign and formed 586 teams to inspect construction and demolition (C&D) sites around the Capital and ensure dust-related norms are being followed.

Referring to measures under Stage-I or the ‘Poor’ category of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), which came into force across NCR from Wednesday evening, environment minister Gopal Rai said construction sites with an area of over 500sqm need to register themselves on the government’s web portal for C&D sites. (HT Archive)

According to Rai, these teams can impose fines ranging from ₹10,000 up to ₹5 lakh on violation of dust rules as per National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines.

“These teams will ensure that the 14 anti-dust rules are followed by workers on construction sites. These rules include the building of a protective tin wall around construction sites; the use of anti-smog guns on all construction sites bigger than 5,000sqm, covering of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, spraying clean vehicles (including tyres) entering or exiting a site,” Rai said on Thursday.

He said other measures to be followed include the need to cover the tops of all construction-related vehicles, store C&D waste and debris at a designated spot, ensure no sand or soil mounds are uncovered, ensure no stone-cutting is done in the open, spray water in non-cemented areas, the installation of metalled roads for vehicles on sites bigger than 20,000sqm, recycle C&D waste at the site itself; mandatorily provide workers involved in loading or unloading of C&D materials with masks, ensure medical facilities on site and display sign boards depicting dust-related measures prominently outside each site.

“If construction sites do not follow these norms, the teams can impose fines,” Rai said, adding the 586 teams will comprise 33 teams from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), 165 teams from the revenue department, 300 teams from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), 20 teams from Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (DSIIDC), 14 teams from Delhi Jal Board, 33 teams from Delhi Development Authority, three teams from Delhi Metro, six teams each from Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and Public Works Department (PWD), one team from NDMC, four teams from Delhi Cantonment Board and one team from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Referring to measures under stage one or the “poor” category of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), which came into force across the national capital region from Wednesday evening, Rai said construction sites with an area of over 500sqm need to register themselves on the government’s web portal for C&D sites.

“If they do not register themselves, they will be barred from carrying out further construction. Moreover, pollution certificate checking and water sprinkling campaigns are being implemented. I am appealing to the people of Delhi to follow these 14 rules. If you come across someone not following these rules in your neighbourhood, or on any construction site or anywhere across Delhi, you can complain on the Green Delhi app by clicking photographs. This will aid us in monitoring and implementing the campaign better,” Rai said.