Rajasthan bans dusty construction, limits firecrackers in NCR districts around Diwali

Jaipur: The Rajasthan govt has prohibited dust-generating construction and demolition activities in its National Capital Region (NCR) districts from Nov 5 to 20 to control air pollution. It has also restricted the use of firecrackers in five NCR districts, allowing only certified green crackers on Nov 7 and 8 during specified hours.Chief Secretary V Srinivas directed departments to ensure strict compliance with the restrictions while reviewing air pollution control measures in the state’s NCR region at a meeting Wednesday.A senior govt official said, “As per the directions issued in compliance with a Supreme Court order, only green crackers certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) will be permitted in Alwar, Bharatpur, Deeg, Khairthal-Tijara and Kotputli-Behror districts.”Green crackers can be burst only from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm on Nov 7 and 8, with their use outside these time slots prohibited.Hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes and educational institutions have been declared silent and no-cracker zones, and firecrackers will not be permitted within 300 metres of these establishments.The meeting was informed that, following directions of Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), dust-generating demolition and open construction activities would remain prohibited in the NCR districts from Nov 5 to 20.“Exemptions have been provided for specified projects related to railways, metro services, airports, interstate bus terminals, hospitals, water supply, sanitation, national security and projects of national importance,” the govt official added. The restrictions will also cover highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecommunications projects.Srinivas directed departments to regularly monitor construction and demolition waste management through a dashboard. He asked officials to maximise the use of mechanised road-sweeping machines and operate them in two shifts to control road dust. He also directed officials to take steps to reduce traffic congestion on major roads and ensure smoother movement. The installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at petrol pumps was also reviewed.The meeting was informed that the transport department had taken action against more than 5,000 vehicles for not carrying valid Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs) under the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ system in the NCR region.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.