Pragati Maidan revamping: Delhi govt issues notice

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Friday told the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to issue a show-case notice to the Pragati Maidan re-development site after finding violations of dust control measures.

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain gave the orders after visiting the site, as part of measures to check air pollution in the Capital. "Found large-scale violations of dust control measures during a surprise inspection," he tweeted on Friday.

A statement from the Delhi government noted, "A surprise inspection by a team headed by Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Friday found a number of serious violations of dust control measures at the Pragati Maidan redevelopment site, following which the Minister directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to take strict action against the violating agency.

"The Minister along with a joint team inspected the ongoing construction sites of ITPO at Pragati Maidan, where a new International Exhibition cum Conventional Centre, Executive Accommodation blocks and a tunnel is being constructed."

It added that the team observed several discrepancies, including blatant violation of Environmental Clearance (EC) conditions. "Both contractors were observing lackadaisical attitude towards the environmental safeguard conditions prescribed for construction stage in EC," the statement noted, adding that there was visible clear-cut negligence on part of contractors with regard to Construction and Demolition Waste Rules, 2016, and orders of the Supreme Court and NGT.

With air quality deteriorating in Delhi, Hussain had on Tuesday directed various departments to combat air pollution on a war footing and take mandated actions to improve the conditions.