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Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday conducted a surprise inspection of various construction sites at RML Hospital and Lady Hardinge Road under the anti-dust campaign.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Minister Gopal Rai stated, "Environmental rules are not being properly followed at the construction site." As per an official release, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPPC) was directed to impose fines of Rs 5 lakh on both sites, with additional daily penalties if satisfactory responses are not provided. On preparations ahead of winters, Minister Gopal Rai said that the Delhi government has started working on a 21-point winter action plan to control pollution during the winter months. "The war room is now operational in Delhi, and the spraying of a bio-decomposer to break down stubble has begun. Additionally, an anti-dust campaign is being launched today to control dust at construction sites in Delhi," he said. He noted that the anti-smog guns are not functioning, the soil is not covered, and the workers engaged in construction are not wearing masks. "Due to these violations of dust control rules, the DPCC has been instructed to issue a penalty notice to the concerned agency. A financial penalty will be imposed daily if a satisfactory reply to the notice is not provided," he said. "Under the anti-dust campaign, we inspected the construction site of the new block at RML Hospital today and found that Rama Civil Construction Company, responsible for the construction, is not strictly adhering to the 14 dust control rules. The DPCC has been instructed to issue a notice and impose a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the company," he added. "If they do not begin to strictly follow the 14 rules at the construction site, a daily challan will be issued against them," he added. He further said that during the inspection at Godrej's construction site on Lady Hardinge Road, violations of the 14 dust control rules were found. Anti-smog guns have not been deployed according to the size of the site, with only one anti-smog gun present. "In addition, sacks were spread all around the site, allowing dust to fly, and the workers were not provided with masks. In light of these violations, the DPCC has been directed to issue a notice and impose a fine of Rs 5 lakh. If further violations of the 14 rules occur, fines will be imposed on a daily basis," he said. Minister Gopal Rai stressed the need to follow the 14 rules related to construction at all sites. "Teams will take strict action if these rules are not followed. For this reason, instructions have been issued to departments to continuously monitor construction sites," he said. Gopal Rai stated that 523 teams have been deployed to improve air quality in Delhi. He also noted that 500 water sprinklers and 85 Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines have been deployed across Delhi to prevent dust pollution. (ANI)
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