Wazirpur, Mayapuri, Okhla major concerns, says DPCC
NEW DELHI :The all-time pollution levels remaining high at the 13 major hot spots in the national capital, in comparison to the overall average air quality of the city, has prompted the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to come up with additional preventive measures in these areas.
Three industrial areas — Wazirpur, Mayapuri and Okhla — have emerged as a major concern in terms of high pollution levels, as per a DPCC report. West Delhi’s Mayapuri has been added to the list of 13 pollution hot spots, while Ashok Vihar, which mostly falls in Wazirpur, has been removed.
Delhi chief secretary, Vijay Kumar Dev, on Monday had asked civic bodies to monitor hot spots on an hourly basis. “The three industrial areas have been identified as potential dust emission sites contributing to bad air quality. While specific action is being taken in these areas, we have suggested additional measures, such as identifying sites for the dumping of construction and demolition waste as well as regular patrolling by civic bodies,” a senior DPCC official said.
Additional measures will include the north, south and east municipal corporations identifying regular sites where construction debris is being found illegally dumped during the night. Also, special teams will be deployed at sites where plastic waste collection and segregation are carried out by ragpickers, to ensure that unwanted plastic waste is not dumped and burnt, the report stated.
An environmental compensation of around ₹14 crore has been imposed on those violating green norms, while 99,202 challans have been issued in the city for violation of anti-air pollution laws, as per the DPCC report.
Besides, 19,100 on-ground inspections have been carried to check violations since October 15 by 300 teams constituted by the DPCC. The teams include officials of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, public works department, district magistrates and municipal corporations.
Burning of plastic and rubber waste in industrial areas was flagged as a major issue by the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (Epca). Open dumping of construction debris emerged as one of the top violations of green norms in an inspection carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The measures also include urging landowning agencies to identify areas under their jurisdiction that are prone to illegal dumping and waste burning, it said. “A regulatory mechanism for disposal of construction waste from building sites should be made only through authorised transporters, who can be monitored by the civic bodies,” the official said.
These measures are besides the comprehensive action plans designed for each hot spot, the official said. The action plan includes clearing garbage and construction debris, paving roads, removing encroachments, mechanised sweeping and sprinkling of water on major stretches.
The pollution watchdog had identified 13 major hot spots in the city — Rohini, Dwarka, Okhla Phase II, Punjabi Bagh, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Bawana, Narela, Mundka and Mayapuri — based on the high particulate matter (PM) concentration in these areas over the long term.
“At Mayapuri, nearly 122 industrial units were found operational without consent. An environmental damage compensation charge of ₹3.7 crores has been levied on these units. Besides, open sites where unauthorised dismantling and parking used to take place have also been covered into green spaces,” the report stated.
The SDMC, on Tuesday, said it has lodged 154 FIRS against violators found burning garbage in the open, in the last 24 hours, and 10 persons were arrested on-thespot by the police.