High-density dust screens made mandatory for construction sites: Delhi Minister Sirsa

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Monday that the government has taken a significant step to strengthen dust pollution control measures by enforcing the mandatory use of high-density dust screens at construction and demolition (C&D) sites.

As per the latest directions issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the minimum thickness of green nets to be used at C&D sites has now been fixed at 100 GSM, and all project proponents must comply with the specification with immediate effect, said an official statement.

Sirsa said the decision has been taken in view of the substantial contribution of construction and demolition activities to dust pollution.

The order follows directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which laid down guidelines for dust pollution control and inspection SOPs for C&D projects.

Sirsa said, “Delhi’s fight against air pollution is being pursued with urgency, seriousness and a whole-of-government approach. We are working on all fronts, policy changes, scientific interventions, technology-backed monitoring, and stronger enforcement to create a robust protective shield against air pollution in Delhi.”

The new specification addresses a critical compliance gap. While earlier directions already required the use of tarpaulin or green nets around under-construction buildings and over stored construction and demolition material, no minimum technical specification had been prescribed so far for the green net itself.

With the fixation of 100 GSM as the minimum standard, the Delhi government has now moved to ensure that dust barriers are not merely symbolic, but genuinely effective in containing particulate matter at source, said the statement.

Sirsa said, “High-density dust screens are essential for effective dust containment. By prescribing a minimum 100 GSM standard, the government is ensuring that dust mitigation at construction sites is practical, measurable and enforceable. This will improve compliance quality on the ground and help reduce fugitive dust emissions more effectively.”

The Minister said, “The Delhi government is committed to ensuring that every anti-pollution norm translates into visible action at the site level.”

The government is also advancing work on Dust Portal 2.0, which is envisioned to provide a centralised monitoring and control mechanism for all construction and demolition sites in Delhi, he said.

Registration of C&D sites on the dust portal has already been made mandatory, and this digital backbone is expected to significantly improve oversight, compliance tracking, and transparency in enforcement.

The latest decision on 100 GSM green nets is expected to complement these efforts and further strengthen dust-control compliance on the ground, he added.

–IANS

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