AI, CCTV to monitor 700 construction sites in Delhi

More than 700 construction sites across Delhi will now be monitored live through AI and CCTV cameras, with authorities alerted instantly if dust levels rise, as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) on Thursday.

The Chief Minister said the Government’s approach rests on the principle of “Detect, Analyse, Act, Verify,” identifying a problem, analysing it, taking immediate action and verifying the outcome. She said real-time information from the ICCC would be directly linked to field action, with concerned departments alerted once a pollution hotspot is identified. 

At the same time, GPS-enabled vehicles allow the movement of field teams to be tracked. This winter, 78 sub-division-level teams will carry out monitoring and enforcement through the centre. The centre, set up at the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation IT Park in Shastri Park, will provide round-the-clock surveillance of pollution sources and function as a “war room” during winter, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. 

The ICCC, built within six months, will monitor more than 700 construction sites measuring over 500 square metres through artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and CCTV, he said. 

The system will alert the concerned department and site owners if PM10 levels rise at construction sites, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office. “All activities happening inside Delhi are being monitored” at the centre, Sirsa said. The centre will also monitor air quality stations, analyse current and historical pollution data, and identify areas where pollution levels are rising. 

This will help officials decide whether measures such as mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling and other dust-control measures are required. 

Cameras will detect incidents of open waste and biomass burning. Officials inspecting polluting industries and other sites will wear body cameras for transparency and accountability. 
The centre will operate round the clock in three shifts and will have 78 sub-division teams during winter.