Delhi Pollution Control Body Shut Down 92 Sites in Wake of Deteriorating Air Quality

After the air quality of the capital reached the ‘severe’ category on Friday with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 462, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) closed down 92 construction and demolition (C&D) sites for dust norm violations. A senior DPCC official said, “All the C&D sites, which have been closed down on Friday, are over 500 square metre. They include sites of both government and private agencies. On the day subsequent to Diwali, AQI deteriorated to ‘severe’ category. Field inspections were strengthened by DPCC and the inspection teams constituted for monitoring of construction and demolition projects intensified their special drives on construction sites.” Of the total violators, closure directions were issued for stoppage of C&D activity at 37 sites in North district and an environmental damage compensation of Rs 9 lakh was imposed on these 37 sites. Other 33 construction projects located in New Delhi district were directed to stop the construction. “These are the projects wherein no reply was received in response to our showcause notice,” said a DPCC official. Field inspections were strengthened by DPCC and the inspection teams constituted for monitoring of construction and demolition projects intensified their special drives on construction sites. Of the total violators, closure directions were issued for stoppage of C&D activity at 37 sites in North district and an environmental damage compensation of Rs 9 lakh was imposed on these 37 sites. Other 33 construction projects located in New Delhi district were directed to stop the construction. “These are the projects wherein no reply was received in response to our showcause notice,” said a DPCC official.