Delhi cracks down on dust pollution with ₹2.36 crore in fines | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Delhi government has intensified its fight against dust pollution with strict, science-based enforcement across the city.

Over the past month, officials have imposed fines worth ₹2.36 crore and shut down dozens of construction sites for violating environmental norms.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the crackdown marks a move toward measurable, science-based enforcement instead of symbolic measures.

Since October 15, teams have inspected 1,262 construction sites larger than 500 square meters.

As a result, officials issued more than 200 show-cause notices. They also ordered the closure of 48 violating sites and levied heavy penalties on 35 others.

Violations ranged from missing barricades to poor dust suppression and improper debris disposal.

Many sites also failed to install mandatory pollution-control systems.

Moreover, the government has expanded digital monitoring.

A total of 747 construction projects are now registered on the DPCC’s self-assessment portal.

The platform uses live video fencing and air-quality sensors to track PM2.5 and PM10 levels in real time. This system helps identify violations faster and improves accountability.

Additionally, DPCC teams continue to survey neighbourhoods for unregistered or illegal construction.

Out of 4,881 mapped localities, officials have already checked 467. They flagged 33 violations and initiated immediate action.

Parallel checks on diesel generator sets also continue, ensuring the use of approved emission-control devices.

Industries are being pushed to shift to cleaner PNG fuel as part of CAQM directives.

Training efforts have expanded, too. Officials of registered construction projects attended virtual sessions on November 17.

Coordination has been strengthened with agencies such as MCD, NDMC, PWD, CPWD, DDA, DMRC and DJB.

After reviewing mitigation efforts in Palam, Dwarka and Mahipalpur, the minister directed teams to enforce proper barricading, netting, water sprinkling and debris removal.

He also stressed strict adherence to rules along stretches undergoing road or footpath repair.

Across Delhi, more than 1,800 enforcement personnel and 35 DPCC teams are deployed.

Furthermore, dust-control operations have intensified at 62 major traffic hotspots.

Agencies now carry out frequent sprinkling and sweeping, ensuring quicker corrective action based on daily inspection reports.

Image by xhkk2018 from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on May 02, 2019

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1589047