MCD steps up crackdown against polluting units

New Delhi: As Delhi continues to grapple with deteriorating air quality under the GRAP-3 restrictions, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has intensified a series of coordinated actions aimed at curbing pollution across multiple zones. From sealing illegal industrial units to enforcing challans for biomass burning and launching targeted sanitation drives, the civic body has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to address the capital’s widening environmental concerns.

In one of the major enforcement actions, the West Zone, in coordination with the DPCC, BSES and local administration, sealed four industrial units in Bindapur, Ward No. 116. These included two coal-fired bhatti units, a chemical factory, and a noodle manufacturing unit all found operating in violation of environmental regulations. Officials said these establishments were identified as significant contributors to local air and water pollution, prompting immediate action under existing pollution-control mandates.

Responding to public complaints on social media, the Keshavpuram Zone undertook an intensive cleanliness operation near the railway tracks at Azadpur Railway Station. The 1.5-acre patch, situated on Railway land and surrounded by jhuggi clusters, had become a hotspot for accumulated municipal waste. Heavy machinery and sanitation teams were deployed to clear the stretch, restore hygiene, and prevent further degradation of the area.

Meanwhile, the Shahdara North Zone issued 24 challans to individuals engaged in biomass burning a recurrent contributor to Delhi’s hazardous winter smog. Parallel encroachment-removal action on Sewadham Road sought to ease congestion and improve environmental conditions in the locality. Reiterating its commitment to stronger pollution control, the MCD urged residents to refrain from burning waste, support enforcement efforts, and maintain cleanliness as the city navigates another severe air-quality cycle.