Teams to enforce dust control measures: Atishi

New Delhi: Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday announced that 99 teams will inspect private and government construction sites in Delhi to ensure compliance with dust mitigation measures, as GRAP Stage 1 has been implemented along with other related measures.

The Delhi government convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday, led by the CM Atishi, to review the implementation of the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The meeting included representatives from various departments such as the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the revenue department among others. Speaking after the meeting, Atishi emphasised the urgency of addressing pollution, noting that the city has experienced an increase in “good air days” this year.

However, with the air quality falling into the “poor” category over the past two days, the government has activated GRAP Stage 1 restrictions.

Under this stage, 33 teams each from the DPCC, revenue and industry departments will inspect both private and government construction sites to ensure compliance with dust mitigation measures, she said. These teams will report their findings daily to the ‘Green War Room’, which monitors air quality control measures across the city. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also deployed 79 teams to monitor the removal and proper disposal of construction and demolition waste during daytime and 75 teams for night-time, Atishi said.

Additionally, 116 teams will work round the clock to prevent biomass burning, which contributes significantly to pollution levels, she added.

Road dust control is another priority, with the PWD tasked with repairing potholes across the city to prevent dust from accumulating, Atishi said. Smog guns will be deployed on a large scale – 200 by the PWD, 80 by the DMRC, 30 by the MCD and 14 by the NCRTC.

These anti-smog guns will help suppress road dust and improve air quality, the chief minister said. Meanwhile, traffic police have also been directed to identify traffic congestion hotspots and deploy extra personnel as needed, Atishi said, adding that if additional support is required, home guards will be made available to manage traffic flow and prevent vehicle emissions from adding to the pollution.