Officials to conduct surprise checks at construction sites

The SDMs and tehsildars... are hereby authorised to carry out surprise inspections or special drives for dust control measures in the construction activities of plots with built up area between 400 sq. m and 20,000 sq. m.

NEW DELHI: In a bid to comply with National Green Tribunal orders to reduce air pollution in the Capital, the Delhi government has asked sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and tehsildars of the revenue department to conduct surprise checks at construction sites to ensure environmental norms are followed and dust pollution is contained.

“The SDMs and tehsildars of the revenue department are hereby authorised to carry out surprise inspections or special drives for dust control measures in the construction activities of plots with built up area between 400 sq. metres and 20,000 sq. metres and recommend the violations to respective area municipality to levy compensation on violators,” director (environment) Anil Kumar, has said in a recent order.

According to the order, the monthly action taken report is also to be submitted by the authorised officers to Delhi Pollution Control Committee “without fail”.

The move follow an NGT order, which states: “If any person, owner or builder is found to be violating any of the conditions stated in this order and or for their non-compliance, such person, owner, builder shall be liable to pay compensation of `50,000 per ANIL KUMAR, director environment default in relation to construction activity at its site and `5,000 for each violation during carriage and transportation of construction material, debris through trucks or other vehicles.”

For big projects of the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation, National Buildings Construction Corporation, Delhi Development Authority and other government agencies and ventures by big builders, which are 20,000 sq. metre and more in terms of size, the environment department has constituted audit teams which will conduct surprise visits and check the various dust control measures in place.

In a similar order, the environment department has also given revenue officials the authority to penalise “open burning of waste”.