Notice against NBCC for violating anti-dust norms

New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to issue a notice to the central government-owned construction company NBCC India for allegedly violating dust control norms at a project site here.

As part of the Delhi government’s anti-dust campaign, Rai inspected the NBCC construction site near the Karkardooma Metro Station on Tuesday and found that construction waste was being dumped in the open and anti-smog guns were not operating.

The Minister directed the DPCC to issue notice to the firm and said a penalty will be imposed on the violators if they fail to submit a satisfactory reply within 24 hours. Rai on Saturday launched a month-long drive to prevent dust pollution in the capital and said strict action will be taken against anyone found violating relevant norms.

The Anti-Dust Campaign includes measures such as the installation of dust control equipment at all sites exceeding 500 square metres, with real-time monitoring available through a web portal. Rai said 591 teams have been set up to ensure strict compliance with dust control norms, with 530 water sprinklers and 258 mobile anti-smog guns employed to combat dust pollution.

He said separate and specific action plans have been designed for each of the 13 air pollution hotspots in Delhi based on real-time air quality data collected from 40 air quality monitoring stations in the capital.

The Minister said a total of 13 teams had been formed to implement these action plans at the identified air pollution hotspots.

The Delhi government had last month launched a 15-point action plan to mitigate air pollution in the capital during the winter season, with a strong emphasis on addressing dust pollution, vehicular emissions, and the open burning of garbage. PTI GVS