Govt to cut salary if agencies fail to remove debris
Executive engineers of PWD and other agencies will be held personally responsible, warns chief secretary
check further deterioration of air quality during the crucial pollution period, which is expected to last at least till November 15.
Government agencies have been asked to take a series of measures, including water sprinkling, intense mechanised sweeping, removing construction and demolition waste and using dust suppressants at major road intersections to bring down road dust in and around the pollution hotspots.
“Highest priority would be given to the 13 pollution hotspots. Action plans have been drawn up and these would be implemented in the next two weeks,” said Arun Mishra, member secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The chief secretary directed DPCC to levy penalty on both private and government agencies responsible for the creation of illegal dumps in areas under their jurisdiction. DPCC has already imposed fines up to ₹12.5 crore on both private and government agencies.
On Thursday, environment minister Kailash Gahlot asked DPCC to initiate prosecution against DDA. On Friday, DDA said “the debris was dumped by anti-social elements. Those antisocial elements should be prosecuted and not DDA whose land is being misused.”
The chief secretary further directed that public complaints received through the SAMEER App and other social media be attended to within 24 hours. “All agencies have been asked to remain fully vigilant during the period up to November 15, during which air quality is anticipated to be in very poor category,” Mishra said.