The regional pollution control board office in Kanpur has recommended imposing a fine to the tune of Rs 52.50 lakh on Metro Rail Corporation for causing airpollution due to dust in the city.
The board recommended a fine when Metro Rail Corporation failed to control air pollution. According to Amit Mishra, regional pollution control board officer, the Metro Rail Corporation had issued a warning in August 2023 regarding air pollution. On August 31 last, the divisional commissioner himself had visited the sites after taking stock of the situation and directed the MRC officers to control dust in the city.
Three teams were constituted to monitor the situation. Each team consisted of an ACM-level officer, a regional pollution officer, and a deputy environment officer of Metro. The team visited and monitored the sites and several times directed the Metro officials and had even served notices on Metro authorities to control the dust at metro sites, Mishra said.
The work of the Metro project was going on from IIT Kalyanpur to the Barra corridor project. “The teams noticed dust at all the construction sites,” Mishra said and added, “When his team observed that Metro Corporation failed to control the dust, the board recommended slapping of fines.” A fine of Rs 26.50 lakh has been slapped for the underground part of the project and the remaining Rs 26 lakh for the elevated part of the project.
PRO of Metro Rail Corporation Panchanan Mishra admitted that Metro had received the notices and information about the fine. “We are taking all measures such as using smoke guns, water sprinkling and use of green net at sites to mitigate the pollution.” Metro officials collect all data of pollution at every site and also have data of the last four to five years of pollution. No doubt, the pollution level has increased, but not very much in comparison to the previous level,” he added.
The Metro would defend itself in the forthcoming meeting to be held on Tuesday, the PRO said. The regional pollution control board had also served notices on some government offices such as Jal Nigam and Bridge Corporation and Panki Thermal to take measures to control and reduce pollution in the city, Amit Mishra said.