New Delhi: Announcing that the National Building Construction Corporation had been fined Rs 5 lakh for violating dust control norms at a project in East Delhi's Karkardooma, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday kicked off the second leg of the anti-dust campaign on Friday which will continue until December 12.
"We conducted an inspection of the NBCC project in Karkardooma and found that it has not taken dust control measures at some places. Accordingly, a fine of Rs 5 lakh has been imposed on the company," he said.
The minister said all government departments have been asked to create anti-dust cells and work in coordination with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to implement the 'Joint Anti-Dust Action Plan'.
During phase one of the campaign, 450 of 2,500 construction sites inspected were found violating the rules and regulations. A fine of around Rs 1.3 crore was imposed on these sites, he said, adding that most construction and demolition sites were found complying with the dust control norms.
The Delhi government has, under instructions of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR, also set up a web portal for self-assessment of dust control norms. All sites over 500 sqm are required to mandatorily register here and post regular updates on their compliance.
Rai also said that a consistent increase in stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh is responsible for high levels of pollution at present in the national capital.
A total of 45,000 farm fires have been reported from these states in the last 10 days, he said.
Rai further said, "Work has started on 5 points to control pollution in Delhi. From yesterday we have started an anti-open burning campaign. Today we have started the second phase of the Anti-Dust Campaign so that any such construction site from where dust pollution is happening, can be stopped. Water sprinkling campaign is also going on all over Delhi.
"Along with this, till now we have completed the spraying of bio-decomposer on stubble in more than 2,700 acres of fields and by November 20, bio-decomposer will be sprayed in 4,000 acres. In this way, we are taking all necessary steps inside Delhi."