Delhi CM assures balance between green curbs, construction sector’s needs

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday assured representatives of construction industry that the government would strive to strike a balance between air pollution related curbs and the city’s needs for employment generation and development.

She received suggestions from industry representatives to ensure that their livelihood is not impacted due to curbs on construction and demolition activities owing to environmental concerns.

After meeting Construction Industry representatives at her office, the Chief Minister on social media platform X said, “Met with members of the Nirman Udyog Bachao Morcha and representatives from the construction sector, and heard their problems and suggestions related to construction activities during Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).”

Chief Minister Gupta added: “A clean environment and sustainable development are both essential needs for Delhi. The government and industry will work together on such practical solutions that make pollution control efforts effective while also sustaining the pace of employment and development.”

On this occasion, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was also present, an official said.

Earlier this month, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) empowered civic agencies and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to enforce dust mitigation measures at Construction and Demolition (C&D) sites with a plot area less than 500 square metres, an official said on Tuesday.

The CAQM issued an amendment on August 4 to its Statutory Direction No. 86 to further strengthen enforcement against violations of dust mitigation measures, the official said in a statement.

The amendment widened the ambit of enforcement by extending the powers to initiate prosecution against gross violators to additional Municipal Corporations, Development Authorities, Municipal Councils, Municipal Boards and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the NCR, the statement said.

The Direction also empowered these authorities to order closure of such sites and impose or realise Environmental Compensation (EC) in cases of gross violations, including those relating to the GRAP Schedule in respect of C&D activities.

“Recognising that a significant number of construction projects on plots having an area of less than 500 square metres are also ongoing in several other Municipal Corporations and bigger cities/towns in the NCR, which contribute significantly to the overall PM10 and PM2.5 load attributed to the C&D sector, the Commission has expanded the enforcement framework to ensure more effective implementation of dust mitigation measures across the region,” the statement added.

The GRAP schedule is divided into four progressive stages based on Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) levels to manage and curb air pollution in the NCR.

The CAQM periodically updates and enforces these stages through its official website.

–IANS

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