In a significant escalation of its winter anti-pollution campaign, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has levied penalties exceeding Rs 55 lakh in December alone. The crackdown targets a range of environmental violations, including the prohibited burning of biomass, illegal disposal of construction debris, and other activities flouting air quality norms.
Intensive Drives and Major Penalties
The civic body's enforcement has been particularly stringent in the past week, where challans worth Rs 34 lakh were issued specifically for breaches of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV regulations. Under these strict rules, all construction and demolition work is banned to curb dust pollution.
As part of its ground operations, MCD teams conducted physical inspections of 1,792 construction sites across the capital. This vigilant monitoring led to the issuance of 771 challans where violations were discovered. This follows a similarly tough stance in November, where over 900 challans amounting to a substantial Rs 1.5 crore were imposed for comparable offences.
Targeting Illegal Units and Biomass Burning
The campaign is not limited to construction sites. In a parallel action, authorities identified and sealed 34 illegal jeans dyeing units operating in violation of pollution control standards during this period. Furthermore, special attention is being paid to the hazardous practice of open burning.
"Our teams have actively checked illegal burning and issued challans to 420 violators for burning biomass and garbage. These actions resulted in penalties amounting to approximately Rs 11.7 lakh in December," stated an MCD official.
Round-the-Clock Surveillance and Mitigation
To ensure continuous oversight, the corporation has deployed 356 surveillance teams comprising MCD officials. These teams are conducting daily, intensive inspections across all 12 zones of Delhi between December 1 and 20.
Alongside punitive measures, MCD is bolstering its cleaning infrastructure. The body has deployed additional machinery, sanitation workers, and waste collection vehicles to focus on garbage-vulnerable points. Every night, around 500 secondary collection points are being cleared to prevent waste accumulation.
In a coordinated effort with other agencies, mitigation measures are in full swing. This includes water sprinkling on 18 major roads and the deployment of 52 mechanical sweepers and jetting machines to wash arterial roads and suppress dust. Zonal officers have received strict directives to ensure the revised GRAP guidelines are implemented without exception.
