Delhi govt launches anti-dust campaign to curb dust levels at construction sites
India Today
Starting from Thursday, the Delhi Government launched a month-long intensive anti-dust campaign, as part of which all construction sites will have to follow 14 rules to keep dust levels under control.
Starting from Thursday, the Delhi Government launched a month-long intensive anti-dust campaign as part of which all construction sites will have to follow 14 rules to keep dust levels under control. The campaign will run in Delhi till November 6.
Violation of the norms at the construction sites will invite a fine ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 5 lakh that authorities can impose as per National Green Tribunal guidelines. Authorities can also impose a fine above Rs 5 lakh on repetitive violation of the NGT guidelines. In serious cases, authorities can also order the shutdown of the construction site.
The Delhi environment department has collaborated with several agencies to form 586 teams, which will monitor the construction sites and check if they are following the norms listed under the anti-dust campaign. The 14 rules are as follows:
In order to stop dust pollution, earlier it was mandatory to install an anti-smog gun at a construction site spanning over 20,000 square metres. This provision has now been modified and now, each site spanning over 5,000sq metres will have to put in place an anti-smog gun.
A construction site with an area between 5,000 square metres and 10,000 square metres needs to have one anti-smog gun, those between 10,000 square metres and 15,000 square metres are required to have two anti-smog guns and construction sites spanning between 15,000 square metres and 20,000 square metres need to have three anti-smog guns. Construction sites with an area greater than 20,000 square metres are required to have four anti-smog guns.
Among the measures listed under the 14-point anti-dust campaign are all construction companies have to build huge tin walls around the construction sites to stop the dust from spreading; they have to cover construction or demolition work with tents; clean the vehicles, including tires, carrying construction materials; keep construction-related vehicles under cover; dispose the construction materials and debris from demolition at a designated spot and not around the construction sites or in its vicinity; keep construction material such as soil or sand under cover; not carry out stone cutting during construction in the open and use wet jetting for cutting stones; spray water in non-cemented and soily areas to avoid spreading of dust.
Construction or demolition sites with an area greater than 20,000 square metres need to have a metalled road with black topple so that transportation of vehicles does not spread dust.
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