963 sites found violating dust control norms : CAQM

New Delhi : As many as 963 construction and demolition (C&D) sites in NCR and adjoining areas were found to be non-compliant with various waste management rules and dust mitigation measures stipulated by the Environment Ministry and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).These were out of 6,596 sites inspected by teams deployed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).”Between October 1 and Octorber 15, total 112 teams including 37 teams in Delhi, 30 in Haryana, 20 in Rajasthan and 25 in 8 NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh were constituted and deployed to conduct on-field surprise inspections of C&D sites,” CAQM said in a statement.During the period, 1,268 sites were inspected; 1,017 C&D sites in Delhi, 98 in Haryana, 89 in NCR Districts of Rajasthan and 64 sites in the NCR area of Uttar Pradesh.

“In Delhi, out of the 1,017 sites inspected, 712 sites were found complying with dust control measures while 305 sites were not complying. All 98 C&D sites inspected in Haryana were found complying. In respect of 89 C&D sites inspected in Rajasthan, 86 sites were found complying.””Similarly, in 8 NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh, only five sites were not complying with the stipulated dust abatement measures while the rest 59 sites were following the prescribed norms,” the statement read.To further ‘reduce’ dust from C&D sites, statutory directions were issued by the Commission to the authorities of the NCR states and Delhi to take action including imposing and collecting Environmental Compensation (EC) from the violators at sites as well as vehicles found violating the prescribed dust abatement norms during transportation of materials relating to C&D waste.”Total 60 vehicles were found violating prescribed dust mitigation norms during the field inspections and a total of Rs 81,20,000 was imposed and collected as EC during the fortnight from C&D sites and vehicles not adhering to norms,” the statement further said.