MCD winter action plan: 383 teams check violations in Delhi

A list of air pollution sources has been forwarded to all nodal officers concerned for necessary action

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said it will constitute 383 surveillance teams comprising 932 officials to check violations related to biomass, open burning of waste, and dumping of construction and demolition waste as part of the civic body’s winter action plan.

New Delhi, India - Oct. 19, 2020: A man sweeps on a road on a hazy morning as air pollution level is on the rise, at New Ashok Nagar, in New Delhi, India, on Monday, October 19, 2020. (Photo by Raj K Raj/ Hindustan Times) (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The civic body, in an official statement released on Thursday, said that the deputy commissioner of the zone will act as the nodal officer to coordinate pollution control measures for each of the 13 pollution hotspots.

An MCD spokesperson said that according to the directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to combat air pollution in the coming months, the focus will be on 13 hotspots—Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, RK Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri and Dwarka.

“The deputy commissioners concerned have been appointed as zonal nodal officers. The zonal offices will be deployed to check dumping of all waste and issue challans to violators. A list of air pollution sources has been forwarded to all nodal officers concerned for necessary action and to prepare short and long-term action plans with various stakeholders,” the official said.

The civic body said that it has constituted a dust control and management cell (DCMC).

“All superintending engineers and directors (horticulture) are the members of this cell. They will be holding weekly meetings to monitor and implement the advisories issued by CAQM/Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to abate dust pollution. Our focus will be on optimum utilisation of mechanised road sweeping machines, and utilisation of water sprinklers to suppress the dust particles. Maintenance of unpaved roads, broken roads and potholes will also be undertaken,” the above quoted official said.

The civic body has said that the citizens can file complaints regarding violations through Green Delhi app of the Delhi government, Sameer app (CPCB) and MCD 311 app.