UPPCB recommends ₹50,000 fine on RRTS casting yard in Vasundhara for dust pollution

The Uttar Pradesh pollution control board (UPPCB) on Friday said that they have recommended a penalty of ₹50,000 against the dusty conditions allegedly found at

The Uttar Pradesh pollution control board (UPPCB) on Friday said that they have recommended a penalty of ₹50,000 against the dusty conditions allegedly found at the Vasundhara casting yard site of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project. The officials said that they have also recommended other measures to be taken up at the site in order to abate air pollution.

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The casting yard of the RRTS project, being developed by NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC) but being developed by a contractor, is located close to residential area on either side. The UPPCB officials said that they visited the site two days ago and found that dust control norms were violated.

“During the visit we found that the vehicles were lined up on the road outside the casting yard and leading to emission of dust during the movement. We asked NCRTC to increase the height of the boundary wall from existing six metres to 10 metres, as per the guidelines of the environment ministry guidelines of January, 2018. We recommended a penalty of ₹50000 against contractor and sent our recommendation to the district administration,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of the UPPCB.

The sites of RRTS project and the Delhi Meerut Expressway are under scanner in order to keep down the levels of dust emissions which could lead to increase in air pollution this approaching winter season.

“It is due to the impact of the projects that our monitoring station at Vasundhara and Indirapuram are recording high pollution levels. As regards to the construction sites, having areas 20,000 square metres and above, we have asked them to conduct a self-audit of the sites and also install CCTV cameras that will be monitored by us. The process is to be completed by October 10,” Sharma, said.

He said that in case the process is not completed by October 10, the board will initiate action and a daily penalty will be levied based on pollution index. The officials have identified 35 such sites in Ghaziabad.

“In extreme cases, the project may also be stopped on the basis of scale of violation,” he added.

The board had alread directed to about 70-80 industrial units in Ghaziabad that used wood and coal as fuel, to install CCTV cameras at their premises facing chimneys for monitoring.

NCRTC said that they are unaware of the fine.

“Our officials had no information about the penalty or any violation that the UPPCB officials have spoken about. On our part, we are taking every precaution to control the air pollution at the site to minimize the impact of construction dust on nearby areas,” a spokesperson from NCRTC, said. “We have water sprinklers and wheels of the vehicles are being washed every time they move out of the casting yards. Anti-smog guns have been deployed to spray nebulised water which helps in settling down the dust particles.”

UPPCB officials, however, once again confirmed to HT that they had recommended the penalty. They said that imposing fines for dust emissions require magisterial powers, for which they had sent their recommendation to the executive magistrate of the district administration.

The civil construction works over a stretch of about 50km is presently underway for the RRTS project in Ghaziabad. This involves 17km of the priority stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai and another 33km from Duhai to Shatabdipuram in Meerut.

District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey on Friday evening said that he has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the NCRTC to repair any service lanes that may have suffered damages due to the ongoing projects of Delhi Meerut Expressway and RRTS project.

“I have directed that committees of officials including locals to be formed at the local level to ensure that the works, if any, are completed in time. A review of pollution abatement measures will also be taken up. Otherwise, the issues lead to resentment among farmers and local population. It is our intent that the works for the two projects get complete in time without any hindrance,” Pandey, added.