New Delhi:
The Delhi government has said it would deduct a portion of salaries of executive engineers of the public works department and other agencies if they failed to remove construction and demolition waste and garbage from roads and areas under their control.
“It was further decided executive engineers of PWD and other agencies who are negligent in getting dumps removed from the roads and areas under their control should be held personally responsible and appropriate deduction from their salary be effected to send a clear signal that negligence in such emergent situation will not be tolerated,” said a release issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Friday.
The decision was taken in a meeting held by the chief secretary of Delhi, Vijay Kumar Dev, with various departments of the Delhi government and the municipal bodies on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office reviewed the air quality situation in Delhi and the National Capital Region, which was attended by Dev.
It was decided in the meeting that the Delhi government would target the 13 pollution hotspots over the next two weeks to check further deterioration of air quality during the crucial pollution period, which is expected to last at least till November 15.
{{/usCountry}}It was decided in the meeting that the Delhi government would target the 13 pollution hotspots over the next two weeks to check further deterioration of air quality during the crucial pollution period, which is expected to last at least till November 15.
{{/usCountry}}Government agencies have been asked to take a series of measures, including water sprinkling, intense mechanised sweeping, removing construction and demolition waste and using dust suppressants at major road intersections to bring down road dust in and around the pollution hotspots.
“Highest priority would be given to the 13 pollution hotspots. Action plans have been drawn up and these would be implemented in the next two weeks,” said Arun Mishra, member secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The chief secretary directed DPCC to levy penalty on both private and government agencies responsible for the creation of illegal dumps in areas under their jurisdiction. DPCC has already imposed fines up to Rs 12.5 crore on both private and government agencies.
On Thursday, environment minister Kailash Gahlot had asked DPCC to initiate prosecution against DDA. On Friday, DDA said in a release “the debris was dumped by anti-social elements. Those anti-social elements should be prosecuted and not DDA whose land is being misused.”
The chief secretary further directed that public complaints received through the SAMEER App and other social media be attended to within 24 hours.
“All agencies have been asked to remain fully vigilant during the period up to November 15, during which air quality is anticipated to be in very poor category,” Mishra said.