NDMC imposes penalty of Rs 50k on PWD for violation of pollution control norms: Mayor

A hefty penalty of Rs 50,000 was on Friday imposed on the city's Public Works Department for "violation of pollution control norms" during the ongoing Chandni Chowk redevelopment project, North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash said. The mayor said the challan was issued during an inspection of the 1.5-km stretch from Red Fort area to Fatehapuri Masjid in the walled city.

"We are taking steps to curb pollution. During the inspection, we found violation of norms for controlling pollution, like dust kicked up and sewer line clogged," Prakash alleged. The Chandni Chowk redevelopment project is one of the flagships projects of the Delhi government, under which the stretch will be a non-motorised area from 9 am to 9 pm.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has taken stern action against violators of pollution norms and issued 172 challans for Rs 20.39 lakh in total in the last eight days, civic officials said on Friday. While 41 challans amounting to Rs 2.15 lakh for illegal dumping and burning of garbage and plastic waste were issued after inspecting 1,658 sites, 14 challans were issued for activities related to construction and demolition of waste, such as illegal dumping, after inspecting 270 sites. As many as 117 challans worth Rs 17.59 lakh were issued for dust control violations at construction sites after inspecting 493 sites, the NDMC said in a statement.