Working to curb dust pollution from construction sites: Delhi Minister Sirsa

New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday chaired a meeting in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to discuss options for controlling dust pollution from construction activities.

After the meeting, Sirsa said, “Under the guidance of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, we have launched an extensive ground-level campaign to check illegal and unregistered construction activities. Every ongoing project must be mandatorily registered on DPCC’s Dust Portal to ensure proper monitoring.”

Officials briefed the Minister that 33 field teams have inspected 185 construction sites so far, with a target of covering over 500 by October 30.

Notices have been served to sites yet to register, instructing an immediate halt to work until formal registration is completed, an official said.

The Minister also reviewed departmental files, took stock of office operations, and directed officers to promptly rectify identified technical gaps.

All departments were directed to expedite field actions, strengthen waste management, and maintain strict vigilance against violators. Directions were also issued to simplify the registration process on the dust portals.

Sirsa clarified, “Our intention is not to halt development but to ensure that every source of pollution is effectively controlled. Monitoring every construction project in Delhi is essential for timely intervention against polluters.”

As per DPCC guidelines, unregistered construction sites may face penalties ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, said a statement.

The Minister directed that all unregistered projects must immediately cease operations and be penalised under environmental compensation norms. During the GRAP phase, any violation detected will attract double penalties.

A crucial decision was also taken to ensure data sharing among all major agencies — MCD, NDMC, DDA, PWD, DMRC and others — to enable real-time, centralised monitoring of construction sites through an integrated portal.

The Minister instructed the formation of a special monitoring team and directed an increase in the number of advanced air-quality inspection devices.

“Our sole focus is on keeping Delhi’s air clean,” said Sirsa, adding, “In recent days, we have seen consistent improvement in AQI levels post Diwali. The goal now is to build on that progress and make the improvement sustainable.”

--IANS

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