Polluters in Delhi-NCR to Face Differentiated Fines Under New Guidelines
Industries and establishments responsible for causing pollution in Delhi-NCR will no longer be subject to uniform fines. Instead, penalties will be imposed based on five criteria to ensure that fines are proportional to the scale of operations, area of impact, and duration of violations.
According to officials, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has instructed that every case will be evaluated individually to assess how long an industry or establishment continued polluting after being issued notices. Penalties will be calculated accordingly.
Smaller violators will face proportionate fines, while larger polluters causing greater damage will be penalized more heavily.
Basis for Penalty Calculation
- Duration of Violation:
Fines will increase the longer a violation continues after the initial notice. - Area and Population Impacted:
Penalties will account for how much area and how many people were affected by pollution. - Severity of Environmental Damage:
Heavier fines for serious ecological harm. - Scale of Industrial Operations:
Larger establishments will face higher fines. - Compliance with Mitigation Measures:
Entities failing to install dust-control systems or submit self-audit reports will face additional penalties.
Examples of Penalties
- Use of Diesel Generators:
- 20–125 KVA: ₹7,500 per incident
- 800 KVA: ₹15,000 per incident
- Over 1,000 KVA: ₹25,000 per incident
- Failing to Control Dust:
- Construction up to 500 sq. meters: ₹7,500 per incident
- Over 500 sq. meters: ₹15,000 per incident
- Operating Without DPCC or State Board Registration:
- Up to 20,000 sq. meters: ₹1,00,000
- Over 20,000 sq. meters: ₹2,00,000
- Not Uploading Self-Audit Reports:
- Up to 20,000 sq. meters: ₹20,000
- Over 20,000 sq. meters: ₹40,000
- No Entry/Exit Curtains at Sites:
- ₹7,500 per site
Additionally, construction sites storing building materials on roads will be fined ₹75,000 if they fail to remove debris after instructions.
Officials said the goal is to promote strict compliance rather than indiscriminately penalizing all violators equally. This new framework is expected to help control air pollution more effectively across the region.
