HSPCB summons 170 Gurugram project representatives over dust compliance

Inspections will begin in September, with sites found violating camera, fencing and dust-control norms facing notices ahead of winter.

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) summoned around 170 project proponents and construction site representatives to its regional offices in Gurugram on Monday to review compliance with dust mitigation measures, officials said.

HSPCB summons 170 Gurugram project representatives over dust compliance

The meetings were held to ensure effective implementation of measures at large construction sites sized above 500 square metres, as per directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), officials privy to the matter said.

Officials reviewed the operational status of web cameras installed for live monitoring of sites, along with self-audit reports and fortnightly certification statuses of construction and demolition activities uploaded on the HSPCB’s dust portal.

“Discrepancies related to cameras for live-monitoring of sites were reported, following which the board’s head office in Panchkula issued directions on Friday to initiate inspections. All proponents were accordingly called for a status update of dust mitigation measures, including steps taken to prevent adverse effects on localised air quality,” a senior HSPCB official said, requesting anonymity.

The official said physical inspections would follow, and notices would be served to sites that failed to implement mandatory video fencing of construction activities under CAQM Direction 97. The direction requires project proponents to video-fence sites and upload self-audits and localised air quality data measured through low-cost sensors.

Inspections will also assess wind barriers, dust screens, sprinklers, deployment of dust suppressants and transportation of C&D waste only through covered vehicles. The board will prepare a list of sites where cameras were found switched off.

As of Monday, HSPCB’s dust portal showed 781 registered sites in Gurugram (north), which had uploaded 6,196 self-audit reports, while Gurugram (south) had 622 sites submitting 5,369 reports. Officials said inspections will begin in September ahead of winter, when ambient air quality starts to deteriorate.