Delhi Pollution: Construction, Demolition Activities Banned as Air Quality Deteriorates | Deets Inside

Delhi Air Quality: With pollution levels worsening, the authorities on Sunday imposed ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR.

Delhi Air Quality: With pollution levels worsening, the authorities on Sunday imposed ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR. According to the order issued by the officials, all actions as envisaged under Stage III of the GRAP ‘Severe’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI ranging between 401-450) will be implemented with immediate effect in the NCR, in addition to all action under Stage I and Stage II of the GRAP.

However, Delhi’s Air Quality, which has been in the ‘severe’ category for some time, is likely to improve, bringing respite to Delhiites from Sunday evening, a weather scientist said.

“The air quality in the national capital is in the severe category with an air quality index of around 400, but from today evening onwards, the air quality of the national capital is likely to improve,” India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Vijay Soni told ANI.

Air quality in Delhi in ‘Severe’ category; Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & adjoining areas temporarily bans construction and demolition activities in the entire NCR pic.twitter.com/2nVLVFbBjy

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2022

Guidelines:

1. Further intensify the frequency of mechanized vacuum-based sweeping of roads.
2. Ensure daily water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants, before peak traffic hours, on roads and right of ways including hotspots, heavy traffic corridors and proper disposal of the collected dust in designated sites/landfills.
3. Further intensify public transport services. Introduce differential rates to encourage off peak travel.
4. Construction & Demolition activities:(i). Enforce strict ban on construction and demolition activities in the entire NCR, except for the following categories of projects:
   1. Railway services/Railway stations
   2. Metro Rail Services including stations. c) Airports and Inter State Bus Terminals.
   3. National security/ defence related activities/ projects of national importance;
   4. Hospitals/ health care facilities.
   5. Linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, over bridges, power transmission, pipelines etc.
   6. Sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply projects etc.;
   7. Ancillary activities specific to and supplementing above categories of projects.

   Note: The above exemptions shall be further subject to strict compliance of the C&D Waste Management Rules, dust prevention/ control norms including compliance with the directions of the Commission issued from time to time in this regard.

   (ii). Other than the projects exempted under (i) above, dust generating/ air pollution causing C&D activities to be strictly banned during this period shall include:

   • Earthwork for excavation and filling including boring & drilling works.
   • All structural construction works including fabrication and welding operations.
   • Demolition works.
   • Loading & unloading of construction materials anywhere within or outside the project sites.
   • Transfer of raw materials either manually or through conveyor belts, including fly ash.
   • Movement of vehicles on unpaved roads.
   • Operation of batching plant.
   • Laying of sewer line, waterline, drainage work and electric cabling by open trench system.
   • Cutting and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials.
   • Grinding activities

    

To recall, the Centre’s air quality panel had last month directed authorities to impose a ban on all construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects.

The AQI level witnessed a sharp decline on Sunday. Around 7 am in the morning, the AQI was measured at 340, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). Yesterday evening, the AQI was at 370.

Air Quality in Noida also dropped to the severe category on Sunday with the AQI measuring 430. It was 375 yesterday. In Gurugram, however, the AQI measured 316, falling in the ‘very poor’ category.