Air pollution: Delhi govt to deduct salary of negligent officials

New Delhi, Oct 25: The Delhi government decided on Friday to deduct a part of salaries of executive engineers of PWD and other agencies if they fail to remove construction and demolition waste and garbage from roads and areas under their control.

The decision came at a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev. At the meeting, Dev also directed departments concerned and municipal corporations that action plans regarding the city's 13 pollution hot spots should be given highest priority and action points be completed within two weeks. He directed that construction and demolition waste and garbage dumped around these hot spots be cleared within 24 hours and day and night patrolling intensified to prevent further illegal dumping.

"It was decided that executive engineers of PWD and other agencies who are negligent in getting the dumps (of waste) removed from the roads and areas under their control should be held personally responsible and appropriate deduction from their salary be effected to send a clear signal that negligence in such emergent situation will not be tolerated," an official who attended the meeting said.

Dev directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to levy penalty on both private and government agencies "responsible for creation of illegal dumps in areas falling under their jurisdiction". The DPCC has already imposed fines up to Rs 12.5 crore on both private and government agencies. Dev also directed municipal corporations to used chemical suppressants recommended by CPCB to prevent road dust re-suspensions.

More than 300 water sprinklers have been procured by the civic bodies. They have been directed to use the machines effectively along the major corridors and around the 13 hot spots, the official said. If required, additional water sprinklers can be hired on priority basis, he added. A DPCC official said it has carried out inspections and prepared inventory of sites where construction and demolition waste and garbage was found strewn around.

The lists have been forwarded to the respective municipal corporations, PWD and DDA to clear these dumps. When pointed out that the Public Works Department has been relatively slack in clearing the C&D waste dumped on its roads, the chief secretary directed it to get its act together and clear the illegal dumps on its roads.