Parliament Question:- Controlling dust pollution

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Parliament Question:- Controlling dust pollution

Posted On: 19 DEC 2024 5:52PM by PIB Delhi

Dust pollution from the Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities has been identified as one of the major contributors of air pollution in Delhi NCR. With a view to abate air pollution from C&D activities, following regulations have been notified by the Government:

• “The Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016” on 29th March, 2016 vide G.S.R. 317(E).
• “The Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2018” notified vide G.S.R. 94(E) dated 25th January, 2018 whereby following Rules were notified:

• “Mandatory Implementation of Dust Mitigation Measures for Construction and Demolition Activities for projects requiring Environmental Clearance” and
• “Mandatory Implementation of Dust Mitigation Measures for all Construction and Demolition Activities

• ‘Guidelines on Environmental Management of C&D Wastes (March, 2017)” prepared by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in pursuant to Rule 10 sub-rule 1(a) of “the C&D W M Rules, 2016, which is available on the CPCB Website at: https://cpcb.nic.in/technical-guidelines-5/.
• ‘Guidelines on dust mitigation measures in handling construction material and C&D wastes (November, 2017)’ prepared by CPCB, which is available on the CPCB Website at: https://cpcb.nic.in/technical-guidelines-5/.
• “Guidelines/Mechanism for using anti-smog gun in construction and demolition sites having areas more than 20,000 sq. metres” prepared by CPCB, which have been circulated among State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) prepared Indian Standard – ‘IS 383:2016’ – Coarse and Fine Aggregate for Concrete – Specification.
• Indian Road Congress prepared IRC 121: 2017 – Guidelines for Use of Construction and Demolition Waste in Road Sector.

Further, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has issued Statutory Directions no. 11 to 15 for “Control/Prevention of Air Pollution from Construction and Demolition activities” with illustrative dust control/ mitigation measures like Monitoring through a dedicated Web portal, Video fencing of projects, dust screens at construction sites, use of Dust suppressants and water mist, transportation of C&D materials in covered vehicles, installation of air quality monitoring sensors in project sites and self-audit and certification mechanism by the agencies concerned. Besides, Direction no. 69 has also been issued for deployment of Anti-Smog Guns, in proportion to area of the construction. Besides the above, CAQM has also directed to strict compliance of C&D waste Management Rules notified by the MoEFCC.

Directions issued by CAQM for setting up of a “Dust Control and Management Cell” by road owning/ maintaining/ construction agencies for monitoring and effective implementation of dust control measures in the NCR.

Online monitoring mechanism (through web portal) introduced for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures for construction sites. The salient features of the web-portal based monitoring are as follows:

1. 1. All project sites of plot area > 500 sqm – mandatory registration web portals of SPCBs/ Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
   2. Standardized check-list for mitigation measures available on the portal.
   3. Project proponents to carry out self-audits/ upload periodic self-declaration  
   4. Provision of video fencing for remote monitoring and low cost Air Quality sensors
   5. Remote and physical inspections by DPCC/ SPCBs – Closure / EC for gross violations.

CAQM has constituted 40 Flying Squads/Inspections Teams to carry out incognito checks for identifying serious violations/statutory Directions of CAQM and recommend appropriate action thereon, based on the seriousness of non-compliances. An Enforcement Task Force (ETF) constituted in exercise of the powers conferred under section 11(5) of the CAQM Act, 2021 on 02.12.2021 as amended from time to time through its regular meetings, considers the recommendations of the Flying Squads/Inspection Teams and recommend appropriate directions on each of the inspection reports, including reviewing the status of various Closure Directions and Resumption Orders issued by CAQM. The ETF through its Flying Squads monitor and supervise the implementation of the statutory directions issued by CAQM from time to time and related environmental statutes.

CAQM is ensuring compliances related to various rules and guidelines related to effective dust mitigation measures at C&D sites through inspections.  Besides monitoring by CAQM, the State PCBs in NCR andDPCC have also been directed to conduct regular physical inspections of different construction and demolition projects (for plot area ≥ 500 sq.m. &<500 sq.m.) in their respective jurisdiction. Details of the inspections conducted from 01.01.2024 to 30.09.2024 are as under:

The status of Closure Directions and Resumption orders issued by CAQM in respect of C&D activities as on 16.12.2024, are detailed below:

Further, the details of penalties imposed for violations are as follow:

• From January 2024 till date, a total of Environmental Compensation of Rs. 2,38,80,000/- (Two crore thirty-eight lakhs and eighty thousand) has been imposed by DPCC against 539 Projects of plot area greater than 500 sqm.
• Direction under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act,1986 issued on 08.04.2019 to M/s NBCC (India) Ltd to stop the work for not following the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 at Project Site, PragatiMaidan, Delhi and Environmental Compensation of amount of Rs. 1,00,00,000/- (Rupees one crore) was imposed by CPCB.
• Direction under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act,1986 issued to 08.04.2019 M/s PWD, GNCTD to stop the work for not following the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 at Project Site, PragatiMaidan, Delhi and Environmental Compensation of amount of Rs. 1,00,00,000/- (Rupees one crore) was imposed by CPCB.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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VM/GS

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