New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): In a move to curb 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.

Sirsa added that the committee would directly monitor all construction projects in Delhi that are above 500 square meters in size to make sure they follow dust control measures.

'Today DPCC has passed an order that whatever construction happens in Delhi above 500 meters will be monitored by DPCC itself so that dust mitigation norms are followed, and they (construction sites) have been told that they will register on the (dust) portal, so that we can monitor the levels of PM 2.5, PM 10 from this. Dust mitigation norms will be followed, where they have to put sprinklers, AQI meters. To monitor all this, we can monitor it from the portal's dashboard,' Sirsa added.

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. (ANI)