Env marshals to keep check on polluters; AQI worst since February

New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said the government will soon deploy environment marshals to help curb violations of anti-pollution norms, including the burning of waste.

The minister also said common people, private and government agencies that have undertaken construction work should adopt adequate measures to prevent dust pollution, else "strict action will be taken against them".

Rai told a press conference here that the government has been taking action against demolition and construction sites larger than 20,000 square meters which have flouted dust control norms despite several warnings, the minister said.

"However, during an inspection, I noticed that smaller sites have also been brazenly flouting all dust control norms," he said. "I want to appeal to all people, private and government agencies to take dust prevention measures while undertaking construction work. If you don't do it, the government will be forced to take strict action against you," the minister said.

Rai had on Sunday issued directions to impose a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for not taking dust-control measures at a construction site near Vikas Sadan here.

On Saturday, the Delhi government imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for dust pollution at a demolition site on Tansen Marg. It is mandatory to install anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites larger than 20,000 square meters, according to government guidelines.

The Environment department of the state government on Monday also started the micro-monitoring of 13 hotspots identified as high sources of air pollution and has appointed nine Deputy Commissioners of MCDs as nodal officers for monitoring the work. These hotspots come under nine deputy commissioners of the MCDs with the DCs as the nodal officers.

Six of these are under the South MCD, five under the North MCD and two under the East MCD. "Every government agency should stay in touch with these DCs for any work in these hotspots. I have directed all the DCs to meet every government agency within the 13th of this month. We will also monitor these spots from the green war room," he said.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital and adjacent areas was recorded in the poor category on Monday morning, with the concentration of fine particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 increasing to the highest recorded levels this season so far.

However, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the air quality index (AQI) was likely to improve slightly in the coming days due to a change in the wind direction. The city recorded an overall AQI of 240 at 10 am. The 24-hour average AQI was 216 on Sunday and 221 on Saturday.