CAQM task force detects violations by 34 construction sites, 229 industries in a fortnight

New Delhi:  The Enforcement Task Force of CAQM reported 336 violations, including 34 from the Construction and Demolition sector, 229 from the industrial sector and five by Diesel Generator sets, during the fortnight ending February 4, an official said on Saturday.

The Task Force of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), during its 125th meeting on Friday, said that between January 20 and February 4, it carried out a total of 739 inspections.

These included 52 inspections across the Construction and Demolition (C&D) sector, 680 across the industrial sector, and seven inspections for Diesel Generator (DG) set violations, said an official statement.

Apart from this, it proposed closure of 21 polluting units, sealing of 53 DG sets, issued show cause notices (SCNs) to two units, said the statement, adding that 63 reports are still under examination.

The meeting reviewed the outcomes of inspections conducted by the Flying Squads of the Commission across key air pollution sectors, including industries, road dust, construction-related activities, Diesel Generator (DG) sets, and incidents of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and biomass burning.

The statement said that special road dust inspection drives were conducted in Greater Noida on January 23 and in Gurugram on February 5, wherein road stretches were evaluated for the effectiveness of mechanical sweeping, water sprinkling, and compliance with prescribed dust mitigation measures.

The inspection findings were reviewed in detail, and agencies were advised to ensure strict adherence to road dust control measures, especially during peak traffic and evening hours, it said.

The Enforcement Task Force reviewed the nature and extent of violations reported by the inspection teams, particularly gross violations observed in industrial units, and examined the proposed enforcement actions, including issuance of closure directions and sealing of DG sets.

The performance of inspection teams during the reporting period was also reviewed, with emphasis on consistency, coverage, and timely reporting of violations.

The Task Force reviewed the updated cumulative enforcement status, which showed that a total of 25,975 units, projects and entities have been inspected so far by the Flying Squads of the Commission.

Based on these inspections, 1,661 closure directions have been issued for non-compliance. Out of these, 1,278 resumption orders have been issued upon verification of compliance by the concerned units, said the statement.