MCD forms special teams to implement Winter Action Plan to check air pollution

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) has formed special teams to check air pollution in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday.

“In the Shahdara South Zone, a total of 78 special teams have been constituted to implement the Winter Action Plan to control pollution,” said Badal Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Shahdara South Zone, MCD.

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Adding to his statement, he mentioned that these teams would operate in three shifts across 26 wards of the zone. Each team has been assigned specific responsibilities, with approximately 350 employees on duty.

According to the officer, the capital has 13 pollution hotspots. Anand Vihar ward in Shahdara South Zone is one of them. To ensure strict monitoring and control of air quality at this hotspot, the Zone has formed an inter-departmental team. The team includes officials from the Delhi Police, Traffic Police, Transport Department, and DMC. The teams will constantly monitor the area in three shifts: 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm, and 10 pm to 6 am.

The teams have been instructed to take strict action against encroachments, illegal parking, roadside dumping of waste, and other sources of dust in their designated areas. They are also supposed to ensure that anti-smog guns and sprinkling machines operate regularly along their assigned routes. Shahdara South Zone Deputy Commissioner Badal Kumar has issued strict instructions to all officials to remain present on-site and perform their duties diligently.

“He warned that any employee found negligent in duty would face immediate disciplinary action,” he added.

According to the new DMC guidelines, the teams will also monitor bonfires, coal-fired stoves, and dust-generating construction activities at night. “They have been instructed to issue fines and challans on the spot for such violations. The corporation stated that these measures will be strictly enforced to curb air pollution during the winter,” the officer mentioned.

The DMC has already started taking strict action against employees found negligent in pollution control duties. On Wednesday, Shahdara South Zone Deputy Commissioner Badal Kumar found construction and demolition (C&D) waste on the roadside in Pandav Nagar Ward No. 200, despite prior instructions for cleaning and monitoring.

A junior engineer’s one-day salary was deducted for inaction at the site. The order stated that C&D waste is a major source of dust, and negligence at any level will not be tolerated.