The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on February 14, 2024, issued an advisory regarding the mitigation of dust in construction and demolition projects.
The following has been stated: -
•The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the exercise of the power conferred under sections 6 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 notified the construction and Demolition of Waste Management Rules. The Central Pollution Control Board also issued Guidelines on Dust Mitigation Measures in Handling Construction Materials and C&D wastes in 2017.
•For further strengthening the compliance of dust control measures and effective monitoring the commission called for mandatory registration of all projects with plot area equal to or more than 500 sq. meters on the respective Web-portal of the State Govt. / GNCT of Delhi for remote monitoring, including the following:
a.Video fencing for all the registered projects.
b.Self-audit and certification mechanism by the agencies.
c.Monitoring of air quality through low-cost air quality monitoring sensors installed at the project sites.
•Municipal bodies/ ULBs and all related departments/bodies of the NCR state govt. / NCT of Delhi may accordingly ensure that all the tender notices, contract documents, agreements, etc. in these sectors incorporate the provisions contained in the rules, guidelines, and safeguards as listed in para 2, for compliance towards effective mitigation of dust during the execution of such projects.
•These agencies may also consider stipulating quality benchmarks in respect of this attribute in the contracts, duly calling for appropriate penal provisions and measures for environmental compensation in case of non-compliance. Regular inspection during the execution of projects may also monitor and ensure compliance with dust control rules, guidelines, and directions as mentioned in para 2 above
•The list of such agencies to which this advisory is marked is not exhaustive and all such project sanctioning and executing agencies may also be advised appropriately by the state Govts. / GNCT of Delhi to follow the above-noted rules/guidelines/directions in letter and spirit, towards amelioration of high levels of dust and associated air quality concerns in the NCR.
The detailed notification is given in the document attached below.
[Notification No. F. No A-110018/01/2021/CAQM-Vol. VI]
