SDMC fines 7 polluting firms

New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has collected Rs 3.5 lakh as penalties from seven construction companies for "violation" of air pollution control norms in the first three days of December, the civic body said on Monday.

Each company has been slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000, the SDMC said in a statement. The companies are — NBCC, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, ITPO, L&T Construction Transportation and Infrastructure at Bhairo Road, SJ Kumar for DMRC Sarai Kale Khan, DMRC Okhla, and Spencer ISP Network, Okhla, it said. The building department of SDMC has said that the action will continue. 

Municipal Commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel on Sunday issued directions to the zonal deputy commissioners and other officials to issue challans under the National Green Tribunal rules to discourage people from littering garbage in the city, the SDMC said. 

The authorities have been asked to concentrate on social functions like 'bhandaras' (community meals) inside and outside religious places, marriages and birthday parties and other events. 

The strict instructions issued against spreading wastes of such kind i.e. used plates, paper containers, plastic cups etc. will not be tolerated at all, he reportedly said.  

On Sunday night, the zonal teams took action against burning of leaves and garbage, littering of streets with used plates, plastic cups, etc, and they issued 180 challans, the civic body said.