Anti-smog guns not installed, notice to 72 construction sites

GURUGRAM: The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) on Saturday served show cause notices to 72 underconstruction buildings in the city for not installing anti-smog guns at their sites. The violators were directed to install anti-smog guns within 15 days.
The defaulters will pay penalty charges if they violate the order again, an HSPCB official said. According to the plan, a construction site having a built-up area of 20,000 sqm should install at least one anti-smog gun.
"...To control air pollution, it was discussed and decided that anti-smog guns must be made compulsory for construction projects in Delhi-NCR that require environmental clearance from states or the Centre i.e. the site having a built-up area more than 20,000 sqm, particularly for excavation, material handling and other dust generation activities," the notice stated.
Construction sites are directed to submit a copy of the documents on the orders placed for anti-smog guns within three days via email to HSPCB. The construction sites will also have to install anti-smog guns and submit photographs and details of the devices within 15 days.
"We conducted a survey and found that none of the underconstruction buildings installed anti-smog guns at their sites. We issued show cause notices to many sites located along South Peripheral Road (SPR) in Gurugram, where the realtors were found to be violating the order. An anti-smog gun is a device, shaped like a cannon, which sprays water into the air. It is connected to a water tank for continuous supply. It can be mounted on a truck to cover the construction area," said Shakti Singh, regional officer, HSPCB.
The anti-smog gun sprays water into the air, creating artificial mist, which helps settle the dust and disperse suspended particles, especially PM2.5, Singh said. In November last year, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to install smog towers or anti-smog guns to fight pollution and ordered the Central Pollution Control Board to be part of the plan. There are more than 900 big construction sites in Gurugram.