Unregistered C&D debris sites may be shut down: DPCC

The order came days before the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) comes into effect in the Capital starting October 1

Days before the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) comes into effect in the Capital starting October 1, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has asked all construction and demolition (C&D) sites in the city to register themselves on a government web portal and carry out a self-assessment.

DPCC data shows that till September 22, only 1,038 C&D sites registered themselves on the government’s portal. (HT Photo)

Officials with the pollution body said that the portal, http://dustcontroldpcc.delhi.gov.in, has 27 queries, including how many smog guns are present on site, and precautions being taken to reduce dust pollution, the officials said, adding that the information will be then cross-verified by DPCC through on -field inspections.

They added that according to stage 1 of Grap, any C&D site greater than 500 sqm in area and not registered with the government by October 1 can be shut.

DPCC, in a booklet released on September 26, said, “The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) through its Direction no. 75 dated July 27, 2023 has ordered that the revised Graded Response Action Plan (revised in July this year) shall come in to effect from October 1, 2023. It has directed for the strict implementation of the aforesaid revised GRAP, Stage–I of which envisages not to permit C&D activities in respect of such projects with plot size equal to or more than 500 sqm, which are not registered on the ‘web portal’ of the respective states for remote monitoring for dust mitigation measures.”

The body also asked C&D sites to follow the government’s 14-point guidelines on dust mitigation, which include measures such as building tin walls around the construction sites, covering construction material, spraying water in non-cemented areas, and making it mandatory to clean the tires of vehicles carrying construction material, among others.

A DPCC official said there is a regular review of the self-audit of construction sites registered with the government, adding that the goal is get all sites registered for transparency purposes.

DPCC data shows that till September 22, only 1,038 C&D sites registered themselves on the portal — 580 active sites and 458 inactive sites (where work has either been completed, was stopped, or the site has shut down).

Of the sites that have registered themselves on the portal, 337 have completed their self-assessment, 244 have cameras installed for surveillance of dust pollution, and 274 have air pollution sensors which provide air quality data from the site.

According to a 2018 source apportionment study for Delhi carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), around 25% of PM 10 in winters comes from dust arising out of C&D activities and road dust resuspension