Government seeks report on waste burning

In a bid to speed up action against those indulging in burning garbage, leaves, plastic, rubber and other waste material and for not taking measures to control dust at construction sites, the AAP government on Monday will be seeking action-taken reports in this regard from all the municipal bodies, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, DDA and revenue and public work departments. All these agencies have been directed to submit their action plans so that a roadmap can be drawn for strict compliance of the NGT orders to bring down air pollution in the city. The meeting is to be chaired by PWD minister Satyendra Jain and environment minister Imran Hussain.

In the previous meeting, the revenue department officials had said that they had issued 392 challans after visiting 558 sites to check dust control measures. Of a total Rs 1.31 crore amount of penalties imposed, the department had collected Rs 47.95 lakh. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation had issued 440 challans, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had challaned 720 and East Delhi 227.

For burning of waste and other material, the revenue department had issued 66 challans, East Delhi Municipal Corporation had fined 191 people, South Delhi Municipal body had challaned 11 and North Delhi Municipal Corporation had fined 15 people. The government had reportedly expressed its unhappiness with the DDA for not submitting its action-taken report.

A source said the DPCC has constituted 12 teams to retract construction material lying on roadside. Any violation noticed is immediately forwarded to the concerned SDMs, PWD and MCDs for prompt action. The road-owning agency is responsible for taking action against the violators. The officers have also been told to upload pictures of the construction material lying on the roadside on the Swatch Delhi Application.

Reports suggest that the inspections carried out by the DPCC at various Delhi Metro Rail Corporation sites revealed violations at 14 sites. The DPCC is said to have imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the DMRC for dust emissions at its various construction sites.

A senior officer said that the municipal bodies have also been directed to write to persons or agencies to whom sanction of building plan have been issued in the past two years to ensure dust control measures were in place at their respective construction sites. The SDMC is said to have issued 648 letters, NDMC has issued 324 letters and EDMC has sent communication to 449 people.