Gandhinagar: Acting on the rising concerns over deteriorating air quality with the onset of winter, the Gujarat government said it has carried out an intensive, statewide crackdown on pollution at construction sites. More than 2,600 sites across 17 Municipal Corporations were inspected within a span of just 3 days, resulting in penalties on 541 sites and recovery of over ₹123 lakh, the government informed in a note.

The action follows a State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, during which increasing air pollution in major urban centres was discussed at length. The Chief Minister asked senior officials to “remain alert from this point forward” and to prepare a comprehensive, multi-department action plan to mitigate future pollution impacts.

Following these directives, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department conducted a virtual meeting with Municipal Commissioners from all 17 Municipal Corporations and six Regional Municipalities. He instructed them to intensify inspections at construction sites—seen as a major source of dust pollution—and to enforce strict compliance with pollution-control norms.

Municipal bodies initiated immediate action. Of the 2,961 construction sites identified across metropolitan areas, inspections at more than 2,600 sites were completed in 72 hours. This includes: 1,303 sites inspected out of 1,563 in the old eight Municipal Corporations, 1,300 sites inspected out of 1,398 in the new nine Municipal Corporations, and all 771 sites inspected under the Regional Commissioner of Municipalities.

The enforcement drive led to substantial penalties. Old 8 Municipal Corporations: 506 sites fined a total of ₹122.82 lakh. New 9 Municipal Corporations: 35 sites fined ₹1.058 lakh.

Officials said the Urban Development Department is reviewing and monitoring the inspection reports on a daily basis. The crackdown is expected to continue, with the government planning stricter enforcement and broader coordination among departments to curb winter-season pollution spikes. DeshGujarat