New Delhi: A penalty of over Rs 12 lakh was imposed on violators on Monday by the teams deployed to monitor implementation of measures to combat pollution in the Delhi-NCR under the Clean Air Campaign, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said. The highest number of complaints were related to illegal construction and demolition activities at 91. An aggressive ten-day-long ‘Clean Air Campaign’ from November 1 to 10 has been launched by Union Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to monitor and report polluting activities as well as to ensure quick action. These teams are visiting different parts of Delhi and adjacent towns of Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida.
Based on 322 complaints, a total fine of Rs 12,70,000 was imposed on violators in Mondya by 52 teams in the national capital, said the CPCB.
A total of 91 complaints of construction and demolition activities were received. Other complaints included that of vehicular emission, traffic congestion, industrial emission, open or garbage burning, leaf burning, road dust, unpaved road, fire in landfill sites, air pollution from generators among others, it said.
The pollution-monitoring body said a total of 64 complaints were received through social media and e-mail while 258 complaints were received through the ‘Sameer app’ that has been developed by the CPCB.
About 43 teams visited sites of 193 complaints in Delhi while one team attended to nine complaints in Gurgaon, two teams to five complaints in Faridabad, two teams to 16 complaints in Noida and Greater Noida and four teams for 17 complaints in Ghaziabad.
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A penalty of over Rs 83 lakh was imposed on violators on a single day on Sunday, the CPCB said. It said a total penalty of Rs 80 lakh was imposed on the violators on Friday and Saturday by the teams deployed to monitor implementation of measures to combat pollution in Delhi-NCR under the campaign.
The teams comprise the local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) as the team leader, senior official from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and representatives from the CPCB, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
The deployment of teams come ahead of the festival season when the air quality is expected to deteriorate to severe levels due to local factors as well as regional factors like stubble burning.
Other measures include halt on all construction activities involving excavation. Civil construction has also been suspended in Delhi and other NCR districts, besides closure of all stone crushers and hot mix plants generating dust pollution.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has also directed the Transport Department and the Traffic Police to intensify checking of polluting vehicles and control travel congestion in the region during November 1-10. Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated to alarming levels in the last three levels with the worst quality of the season recorded on Monday.
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NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
