Surat, 17 November: The city witnessed an unusual rise in its Air Quality Index over the past week, raising widespread concern. Although a dip in air quality during winter is common, the unusually high pollution levels this time led the Surat Municipal Corporation to take strict action.
As per agency report, following instructions from Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agrawal, the Urban Development and Town Planning Department conducted an extensive inspection across construction sites on Thursday. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner Manish Doctor, teams from all zones inspected 145 construction sites in a single day. Sites found violating construction guidelines were collectively penalised with an administrative fine of Rs 44.27 lakh.
During the inspections, several violations were detected, including the absence of green nets, failure to sprinkle water to control dust, lack of measures to limit dust caused by truck and heavy vehicle movement, and inadequate cleaning of vehicle wheels. Despite repeated reminders issued jointly by the municipal corporation and CREDAI, many developers were found disregarding the mandatory guidelines.
The Municipal Commissioner had directed all departments to carry out immediate inspections in view of the rising pollution levels and instructed them to ensure strict adherence to environmental norms during construction activities. Deputy Commissioner Manish Doctor stated that the objective is not to penalise developers but to ensure effective dust control at construction sites, noting that pollution can be significantly reduced if guidelines are followed. He added that the inspection drive will continue and all developers have been warned to implement dust-control measures, including installing green nets.
The corporation has made it clear that further action will be taken against those who ignore the rules. With construction activities rapidly increasing in Surat, strict enforcement of pollution-control measures has become essential. The ongoing campaign is emerging as an important step towards keeping the city’s air cleaner and safeguarding public health.
