Delhi Environment Minister Fines Builder For Flouting Anti-Dust Rules

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on a construction company building a sports complex in Pitampura in northwest Delhi for violating anti-dust guidelines.

Paying a visit to the construction site, Mr Rai also warned to take stringent action, including slapping fines, against all the non-compliant contractors.

Speaking to reporters on-site, Mr Rai said, "Despite repeated instructions to follow the anti-dust campaign rules, I found that the necessary measures were not implemented in this construction site. This site being less than 20,000 square metre, it required to strictly comply with the dust-control norms." "A fine of Rs 50,000 has been imposed on the construction agency for the violations. I warn that if the issues persist, further stringent action will be taken," the minister added.

As part of an ongoing anti-dust campaign launched by the Delhi government on October 7, Mr Rai earlier convened a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat with the representatives from 120 private and government construction agencies.

Mr Rai said, "On October 7, I visited a few construction sites and observed that the concerned agencies were not following the rules. So I called all the 120 construction agencies, both government and private, to the Secretariat to brief them on the importance of following the anti-dust protocols. I have issued detailed instructions on compliance and asked them to strictly adhere to them." Mr Rai also claimed that air pollution in Delhi has decreased by 34.6 per cent over the past nine years due to the proactive measures of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Starting Monday, 523 monitoring teams from 13 different departments will be deployed to oversee construction sites and enforce dust control measures, he said.

Additionally, 85 mechanical road sweeping machines and 500 water sprinklers have been introduced to further reduce dust pollution in the national capital.

To comply with the anti-dust guidelines, construction sites measuring more than 500 square metre are now required to register on the Construction and Demolition (C&D) portal, the minister informed.

Fines for violations include a penalty of Rs 1 lakh for construction projects under 20,000 square metre and Rs 2 lakh for larger projects not registered on the C&D portal.

Additionally, there is a daily fine of Rs 7,500 for sites lacking anti-smog guns, and a daily penalty of Rs 7,500 for projects under 500 square metre, and Rs 15,000 for larger projects that fail to implement dust mitigation measures.

Vehicles carrying construction materials must be properly covered or else pay a fine of Rs 7,500, he said.

Mr Rai also emphasised that construction sites across Delhi must adhere to 14 dust control guidelines, as he warned that additional daily penalties will be imposed if a satisfactory response is not received from the concerned construction agency.

"It is mandatory for construction projects to implement these guidelines to ensure the health and safety of Delhi's residents. Our officials have been instructed to carry out regular inspections to enforce these measures," Mr Rai said.

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