New Delhi, Oct 21 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has installed surveillance cameras at 125 construction and demolition waste sites and deployed joint enforcement teams to crack down on illegal dumping, dust pollution and biomass burning amid efforts to improve the city’s air quality.
The 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom cameras will provide round-the-clock feeds to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), while the civic body has designated dumping sites in all 250 wards to prevent unauthorised disposal of construction waste, according to an MCD statement issued on Wednesday.
The corporation has also deployed 167 water sprinklers and 40 mobile anti-smog guns on roads across the city and is carrying out deep cleaning of identified dust-prone stretches in all 12 zones.
The joint enforcement teams will act against dust emissions from construction and demolition activities, the use of unapproved fuels, biomass burning and illegal dumping of construction waste and garbage. They will also inspect decentralised waste storage and dumping sites maintained by the MCD.
The civic body has prescribed dust-control measures at designated dumping sites, including barriers at least three metres higher than the maximum height of waste heaps, covering or regularly wetting materials and installing fine-nozzle water sprinkling systems.
Vehicles transporting construction waste to and from these sites must be fully covered to prevent dust emissions, the statement said.
The MCD has installed 40 additional anti-smog guns at its facilities, including construction waste processing plants, dumpsites, waste-to-energy facilities and high-rise buildings, with 20 at each category of facilities.
The deployment of sprinklers and anti-smog guns will be adjusted according to the stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The corporation has also released an interim budgetary provision of Rs 5 lakh for each of its 12 zones to facilitate vehicles for enforcement teams. Zonal authorities have been directed to conduct regular inspections and take action against violations.
MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar directed zonal officers to ensure regular field inspections and effective implementation of dust-mitigation measures, saying coordinated and timely action was necessary to achieve sustained improvements in Delhi’s air quality.
(PTI News)
