Officials empowered to take legal action against pollution at construction sites

New Delhi: The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality has empowered member secretaries of pollution control bodies in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi to take legal action against project proponents and agencies for gross violations of pollution control norms at construction sites.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued strict directions to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement of orders issued for air pollution control at construction and demolition sites.

The CAQM said member secretaries of pollution control boards and committees in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi -- as part of the statutory sub-committee on "Safeguarding and Enforcement" -- could take legal action against project proponents and agencies responsible for gross violations at construction sites, according to a statement.

It also directed the officials to shut down non-compliant sites and recover environmental compensation charges.

The CAQM also reviewed the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which prescribes measures to tackle pollution based on air quality levels, and emphasised the need for strict enforcement.