17.4-lakh fines imposed on 76 violators over dust norms

New Delhi: Environment minister Gopal Rai on Saturday said 2,764 construction sites had been inspected under the anti-dust campaign and 76 violators had been issued fines amounting to Rs 17.4 lakh.
The campaign, which began on Oct 7, will continue till Nov 7. A total of 523 teams have been formed for this campaign, involving officials from 13 departments. The teams are inspecting various construction sites across the city and taking action against violations.
Rai said teams were regularly visiting construction sites to ensure compliance with the anti-dust guidelines."The 14-point anti-dust norms for construction sites must be enforced. Strict action will be taken against any construction site that fails to follow dust control measures, including fines, and in cases of severe violations, the site may be shut down."
The minister appealed to the people of Delhi to report any irregularities in construction or demolition activities through the Green Delhi app. Rai said that to reduce pollution during the winter season, govt announced Winter Action Plan on Sept 25, which was being implemented on the ground by the departments concerned. "A green war room has been launched to monitor this. Govt, with the cooperation of the public, successfully reduced pollution," he added.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said conducting 2,764 anti-dust inspections in 12 days with 523 teams meant that each team performed one inspection every two days. Rai should clarify if these inspections, covering a large city like Delhi, are anything more than a mere formality, said Sachdeva. tnn