Come up with dust control plan at construction sites: LG to NDMC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today asked the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for dust control at construction sites here in consultation with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) within two weeks.

He also said that the operation of Badarpur Thermal Power plant, which was reopened in March this year, would be closed from mid-October, considering the rise in pollution during winters.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting on air pollution review, chaired by the LG and attended by Environment Minister Imran Hussain and senior officers.

During the meeting, the LG was informed that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) would set up 20 more real-time monitoring stations by October 15.

The LG also said that once the SOP is prepared, it could be uniformly adopted by all municipal corporations and other construction agencies.

The LG stressed that the SOP should be "feasible" and "enforceable".

Also, the transport department was instructed to intensify inspections of the centres certifying pollution under control (PUC).

The department informed Baijal that it has done physical inspection of 957 PUC centres, issued 134 show cause notices, suspended 20 and cancelled eight PUC centres.

Further, the department said it will strictly implement the Supreme Court directions regarding linking of vehicle insurance with PUC Certificate.

The PWD and the traffic police were directed to review traffic engineering arrangements in order to prevent entry of non-destined vehicles, that are a major source of air pollution, in the city.

For augmentation of public transport, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) informed the LG that a proposal for establishing a subsidiary is being considered to effectively resolve the problem of last-mile connectivity in the city.

Baijal also directed that an intensive anti-firecrackers campaign should be undertaken particularly targeting schoolchildren who are the "best ambassadors of change" to bring down pollution level.