New Delhi, 28 October (H.S.): Rupesh Kumar Thakur, Chief Executive Officer of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and nodal secretary for the Punjabi Bagh pollution hotspot, inspected the area on Wednesday to review measures being implemented to control pollution and prevent dust emissions. During the inspection, he conducted a detailed survey of the area within a three-kilometre radius of the hotspot and examined various pollution-generating units and identified pollution hotspots.

The nodal secretary also visited the Punjabi Bagh hotspot monitoring station along with officials. The Deputy Commissioner of the West Zone briefed him on the station’s functioning and explained the various air-quality parameters displayed there.

The team subsequently inspected the Maintenance-I Division of the West Zone, where it reviewed a construction and demolition waste site and assessed the condition of sprinkler systems installed for dust suppression.

At the Dussehra Ground in Punjabi Bagh, the Deputy Commissioner briefed Thakur on the measures being taken to keep exposed, dusty areas, known as brown patches, wet to prevent dust emissions. He also provided details about the deployment of two tractors for this purpose.

During the inspection, the nodal secretary visited the Shakur Basti railway siding yard in the North-West district, located approximately 1,100 metres from the Punjabi Bagh pollution hotspot. The site has been identified as a potential major source of dust pollution in the area.

Thakur directed the concerned official of the Delhi Government’s North Central district to coordinate with Northern Railway and take stringent action to address the issues. He also instructed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) official to issue challans in accordance with the applicable rules and, wherever necessary, initiate proceedings to seal the premises in line with the prescribed regulations and procedures.

In the final phase of the inspection, the team visited the Punjabi Bagh crematorium. There, Thakur reviewed and appreciated the efforts being undertaken by the West Zone Deputy Commissioner to reduce emissions generated during cremation.

The nodal secretary commended initiatives to promote wood-free cremation through compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric cremation facilities. He also praised the decision to provide these services free of charge to encourage more people to adopt environmentally friendly alternatives.

The inspection underscored the need for coordinated action among the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), DPCC, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Government, Delhi Traffic Police and the Railways to effectively control pollution sources in and around the Punjabi Bagh hotspot.

Those present during the inspection included West Zone Deputy Commissioner Colonel Vinod Atri; Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Western Range, Ranbir Singh; West Zone Assistant Commissioner Swapnil Singh Thakur; Rajouri Garden Sub-Divisional Magistrate and West District Magistrate Iti Agrawal; and officials from the DPCC, PWD and the MCD’s West Zone.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar