*AAP government has awarded 10 construction agencies for adherence to environmental guidelines: Gopal Rai*
*AAP government organizes workshop to sensitize government and private construction agencies under Anti-Dust Campaign*
*Construction agencies instructed to give on-site training to their employees: Gopal Rai*
*It’s mandatory to adhere to the 14 guidelines meant for construction sites: Gopal Rai*
*523 teams from 13 departments have been deployed across Delhi under Anti-Dust Campaign: Gopal Rai*
NEW DELHI: 09/10/2024-The AAP’s Delhi government is pulling out all the stops to fight against pollution. In this series, the AAP government is now honoring those who lead the way. In a move to enforce strict environmental standards, 10 construction agencies were awarded the prestigious Harit Ratna Award by Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday.
The recognition comes as part of the AAP government's ambitious Anti Dust Campaign, pushing for cleaner construction practices through mandatory registration and compliance with 14 key rules.
Delhi Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, shared that the AAP government has been working on a 21-point Winter Action Plan to curb winter pollution. As part of the plan, an anti-dust campaign was launched on 7th October. A total of 523 teams from 13 different departments have been deployed to inspect construction sites across the city and monitor conditions on the ground.
The Delhi Environment Minister stated, “I personally conducted a surprise inspection at two sites, one being a new block of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and the other, a multi-story building by Godrej. At both places, we saw that the construction companies were not properly following the 14-point rules created to reduce dust pollution.”
“After talking to several people, it became clear that the companies lack the seriousness they should have regarding controlling dust pollution.”
Considering this, added Minister Gopal Rai, “representatives from construction companies involved in 120 private and government projects were called to the Delhi Secretariat today and were given proper training. We provided them with kits containing the 14-point guidelines and a pamphlet explaining what actions to take and avoid to help control construction pollution, which were further explained in detail by our experts.”
The Environment Minister said that additionally, the representatives were given the task that, just as they were trained today, they will also train people at the 120 construction sites, so that the ground workers and in-charges can also implement this information.
Along with this, Minister Gopal Rai added, “As we had announced in the Winter Action Plan, agencies doing good work will be honored, while violators will be penalized. I found violations at two sites, and both agencies were fined Rs. 5 lakhs each. We had also launched a website where construction agencies must upload videos and follow the rules. Today, 10 of those agencies that excelled were honored with Harit Ratna Award.”
*AAP government honors the representatives of following agencies with Harit Ratna Award*
1. Constructing an office complex at the US Embassy.
2. WHO building in IP Estate.
3. Delhi International Airport Limited for a commercial project in Aerocity.
4. ITD Cementation Limited for their redevelopment project of the GPRA Colony in Kasturba Nagar.
5. DLF Home Developers Limited for constructing a residential complex on Shivaji Marg.
6. Northern India Paint Color and Varnish Co LLP for the residential group housing project in Vijay Nagar.
7. Nehru Place Hotels and Real Estate Private Limited for building multi-storey parking and a commercial complex in Nehru Place.
8. Angelica Developers Limited for the Aerocity Gateway project.
9. Echo Buildtech Limited for the group housing project in Vasant Kunj.
10. Unity Buildwell Limited for the project in Dwarka.
The Minister asserted that the AAP government is implementing a two-pronged strategy to control dust pollution in Delhi: strict action for rule violators and recognition for those who comply.
He said, “Today, we provided guidelines, trained representatives, and honored top performers with the Harit Ratna Award. This award starting today, given for efforts in reducing dust pollution, vehicle pollution, biomass burning, and tree plantation, will continue in the future to encourage participation and strengthen the campaign against pollution in Delhi.”
Gopal Rai added, “We previously wrote to the Union Environment Minister seeking emergency measures, such as artificial rain, from November 1st to 20th, when pollution levels peak after Diwali. Despite our request for a swift meeting, one has yet to be scheduled.”
“Tomorrow, I will again urge the Union Environment Minister to convene an urgent meeting for the same. So that we can implement emergency measures alongside efforts to control dust, vehicle, and biomass burning pollution,” concluded the Delhi Environment Minister.