Dust pollution continues to worsen city air

The regional office of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has issued show cause notice to developers of three construction sites for failing to prevent

The regional office of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has issued show cause notice to developers of three construction sites for failing to prevent dust emission since the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) kicked off on October 15. Officials said that no construction, however, has been stopped at any of these sites even though dust pollution continues to remain a major source of the air pollution.

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For the last week, the air quality index (AQI) of Gurugram has been in the ‘very poor’ and ‘poor’ category of the CPCB classification. A high concentration of pollutants kept Gurugram’s AQI at 384 on Thursday, a deterioration from Wednesday’s AQI of 313. The concentration of ultrafine particulate matter (PM2.5) was 409 micrograms per cubic metre, as per the monitor at Vikas Sadan.

The pollution board on October 28 served a show cause notice for closure to a group housing project in Sector 85, stating that appropriate dust control measures were not being taken at the site, following an inspection by the team.

Shakti Singh, regional officer (south Gurugram), HSPCB, who is also the nodal officer for Grap implementation in the city, said that the activity at the site was in violation of the directions issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under Section 5 of Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, to regulate dust emission from construction and demolition (C&D) activities.

Singh said that other two notices were served to developers in new sectors of the city. However, he did not reveal their details. “They have been given a week to submit a compliance report on the construction activity. They have to tell why the activity should not be stopped under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Also, as to why action should not be taken against them under various provisions of environmental laws for non-compliance of Acts, notification and rules,” said Singh.

In Gurugram, notices have been served to three construction sites in the last 15 days, according to Singh. “The Grap guidelines clearly state that large construction projects will provide an undertaking to the pollution board that they will adhere to the norms. Therefore, we have given the developers time to submit their compliance report. If they fail to do so, then only construction activity is stopped and a penalty is being imposed,” said Singh.