Lok Sabha Question No. 170 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Monitoring of Dust Mitigation Measures
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No. 170

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## Monitoring of Dust Mitigation Measures

## *170. SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  cognizant  of  the  growing  instances  of  non-adherence  of dust mitigation measures mandated under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) leading up to the dispersion of construction and demolition waste in the air;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the manner  in which the monitoring of construction, re-modelling, repair and demolition of civil structures is being undertaken in the regions under CAQM;
- (d) the details of field visits or inspections undertaken in the past six months in the regions under CAQM for compliance of dust mitigation measures; and
- (e) the status of progress on building an online mechanism for monitoring and reporting of the compliance of dust mitigation measures?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARAS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  170  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  19.12.2022  REGARDING 'MONITORING  OF  DUST  MITIGATION  MEASURES'  RAISED  BY  SHRI  KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

(a) & (b)

Dust  arising out of ongoing  construction  and  demolition  activities and  infrastructure development in the National Capital Region is one of the major contributors to the overall adverse  air  quality  in  the  region.  Accordingly,  this  sector  has  been  a  priority  area  for  the Central Government and the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas  (CAQM).  CAQM  has  issued  statutory  directions,  advisories  and  guidelines  for appropriate dust mitigation measures, besides calling for compliance of various statutes viz. C&D Waste Management Rules and related CPCB guidelines.

In  order  to  ensure  compliance  of  various  measures  to  control  air  pollution  (dust  pollution) mandated to CAQM, Government have conducted regular review meetings with CAQM and concerned  central  Ministries,  Chief  Ministers,  Environment  Ministers  of  concerned  States, UT of NCT Delhi and other concerned stakeholders.

(c)   to (e)

CAQM  has  an  extensive  monitoring  mechanism  and  system  towards  compliance  of  dust mitigation measures in this sector in the NCR.  Flying Squads/ Inspection Teams constituted by  the  CAQM  have  been  regularly  carrying  out  incognito  inspections  of  the  C&D  project sites,  besides  inspections  by  the  respective  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  /  DPCC  and various  departments/  agencies  in  the  concerned  State  Govts.  /  GNCTD.    Further,  under statutory directions of the CAQM, 60 'Dust Control and Management Cells' (DCMC) have been set  up  by  different  road  owning/  maintaining  agencies  in  NCR  (NCT  of  Delhi  -    11, Uttar Pradesh -18, Haryana - 17 and Rajasthan -  14) to specifically monitor and manage dust pollution from road construction and maintenance activities.

During the period  between  July  -  December,  2022,  a  total  of  about  3725  field  inspections have  been  carried  out  by  the  Flying  Squads  constituted  by  the  CAQM  across  sectors  like C&D projects, road construction / rebuilding projects. Of such inspections in the C&D Sector during  July  -  December,  2022,  94  projects  which  were  found  to  be  grossly  violating  the directions/ rules/ guidelines, they have been issued directions for closure of work at the sites, which  are  resumed  only  after  due  compliance  of  various  statutory  requirements  and preventive and corrective measures.

Under statutory directions of the Commission, all projects in the NCR on plot areas equal or more than 500 sqm. are required to register on  the respective dedicated  web  portals  in  the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the NCT of Delhi and certify self-compliance of various stipulated measures.  The project sites are also required to be video fenced to also enable  remote  monitoring  of  the  compliances  by  the  inspection  agencies  through  the respective  web portals.    Such  portals  have been  developed  and  are  operational  in  the NCR States and GNCTD.

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