DPCC cracks down on industrial air pollution; mandates Dust Portal registration before building plan sanctions

New Delhi, May 23: In a move to curb industrial air pollution, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on Friday made it mandatory for all construction and demolition sites to register on its Dust Portal before their building plans can be approved. The goal is to ensure strict implementation of dust control measures."The DPCC has directed the land owning/construction agencies, contractors for adherence to the 14 points dust mitigation measures for ensuring control of dust pollution at construction and demolition sites, prescribe for wet suppression through prescribed anti-smog guns and water sprinkling...," read a letter from the office of the Environment minister.

According to the Office of Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Delhi Government, along with the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), is stepping up efforts to control air pollution in industrial areas where anti-smog guns and water sprinklers have not yet been deployed.

Sirsa announced that the Delhi government will deploy eight advanced hydraulic anti-smog gun vehicles, mounted on trucks and equipped with GPS-enabled water sprinklers, across major industrial zones.

Reiterating the government's dual commitment to industrial growth and environmental protection, he stated, "Our government is fully committed to ensuring industrial growth while protecting the environment. We are taking concrete steps to minimise industrial waste and improve infrastructure so that businesses can thrive responsibly. Sustainable development is the cornerstone of our Prime Minister's vision for a Viksit Delhi."

The trucks, powered by CNG and fitted with advanced anti-smog guns, are capable of spraying mist up to 30 meters and rotating 330 degrees. These vehicles will be deployed across all industrial areas under DPCC's jurisdiction.

According to the minister's office, water sprinklers and anti-smog guns have already been deployed in the Bawana and Narela Industrial Areas. The vehicles will operate in two shifts daily--one from 3:00 AM to 7:00 AM and another during off-peak afternoon hours for four hours.

This initiative by the Rekha Gupta-led government follows a high-level meeting, after which the process of hiring GPS-enabled anti-smog gun vehicles was completed.

In addition, as part of its mission to clean the Yamuna River, the government will set up 32 real-time water quality monitoring stations. Ten will be installed directly on the Yamuna, while 22 will monitor the quality of water in major drains flowing into the river.

On May 19, the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) subcommittee for the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) held a meeting to assess the current air quality situation in Delhi-NCR. The meeting was prompted by rising pollution levels, with the city's average AQI crossing the 200 mark.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:

R

Rahul K.

Finally some concrete action! Delhi's air has been unbearable for years. But will these measures be properly enforced? We've seen many such announcements before that remained only on paper. Hope this time it's different 🤞

P

Priya M.

Good initiative but 8 anti-smog guns for entire Delhi? That's like using a spoon to empty a lake! We need hundreds of these deployed across the city, especially near schools and hospitals. The pollution is literally killing us.

A

Amit S.

As someone working in Narela industrial area, I've seen the difference these sprinklers make. But the real problem is small illegal factories operating without any pollution control. Unless they're shut down, these measures won't have much impact.

S

Sunita R.

Yamuna monitoring is long overdue! The river is practically dead. My children have never seen a clean Yamuna in their lifetime. Hope this leads to actual cleanup action, not just monitoring. #SaveYamuna

V

Vikas T.

While I appreciate the effort, why only industrial areas? What about construction sites in residential areas? The dust from these sites is making life miserable for common people. The portal should cover all construction, big or small.

N

Neha P.

The timing of shifts (3AM-7AM) is practical to avoid traffic disruptions. But will the workers get proper safety gear? Spraying water at night in winter can be dangerous without proper protection. Hope the government considers this aspect too.

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