DPCC rolls out Dust Portal 2.0 to tighten monitoring of construction-related pollution

All construction and demolition projects will be required to submit periodic compliance reports, install air quality sensors and provide live camera feeds for real-time monitoring under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) upgraded Dust Portal 2.0.

In a bid to strengthen oversight of dust pollution from construction activities, the DPCC has issued a user manual for Dust Portal 2.0, an upgraded version of its Dust Pollution Control Self-Assessment Portal.

According to the user manual of the portal, all construction and demolition projects with a plot area of 500 square metres or more are required to register on the platform, which has been developed in line with directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

The portal aims to digitise compliance monitoring by enabling project proponents to self-register construction sites, map site boundaries using GIS technology, submit periodic self-audit reports and upload supporting documents and photographs. It also integrates real-time monitoring of PM2.5 and PM10 levels and live video surveillance of project sites.

Under the system, registered project proponents will have to submit a self-audit assessment sheet every 15 days. The audit covers 12 compliance parameters, including green net coverage around sites, water sprinkling, covering of construction material stockpiles, vehicle tyre-washing facilities, anti-smog gun installation, air quality sensors, CCTV surveillance, waste disposal and worker awareness programmes.

Specifications of camera installation and setup instructions have also been issued for construction sites to comply with.

The manual warns that incomplete or delayed submissions may attract show-cause notices from the DPCC.

A key feature of the portal is GIS-based mapping of construction sites. Existing users of the earlier DPCC portal have been directed to complete a one-time migration process by digitally marking the exact boundaries of all previously registered projects before accessing the new dashboard.

The system also automatically calculates the number of anti-smog guns required at a site based on its built-up area. Projects with a built-up area between 5,000 and 10,000 square metres must install one anti-smog gun, while projects exceeding 20,000 square metres require four.

In addition, all registered construction sites are required to install PM2.5 and PM10 sensors for continuous air-quality monitoring and provide live CCTV feeds through RTSP links to enable remote surveillance by the pollution watchdog.