Newsdetail

Delhi NCR Construction ban re introduced as the air quality worsens

By Rishabh Chamoli | 2022-12-06

As the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi moved into the severe stage at above 400 on December 4, 2022, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) once again implemented the Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Consequently, all non essential construction work has been banned in Delhi NCR.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has re instated strict curbs under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after Delhis Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 407 on Sunday, December 4, 2022. The commission had lifted the necessary restrictions on November 14, 2022, after the air quality had significantly improved. However, the recent analysis has highlighted the need to curb non essential construction and demolition activities in Delhi NCR.

What are GRAP and its stages?
The GRAP is a set of measures followed in Delhi NCR to check air pollution levels. It is broadly divided into four stages, depending on the consistent AQI in the region.

While the regions AQI was averaging very poor in the last week of October 2022, the smog reached the severe zone, and this continued after November 1, 2022. However, the restrictions were lifted in the third week of November 2022 as the average AQI was poor, and nearly 100 points lower than what was needed to continue the restrictions under Stage III of GRAP. Although the ban was lifted, CAQM emphasised the need to follow dust control norms.

Why was Stage III of the GRAP implemented in Delhi NCR in October 2022?
Alarmed by the rising pollution levels in Delhi NCR, the CAQM in an emergency meeting on October 30, 2022, had implemented Stage III of the GRAP and invoked necessary bans on construction and demolition activities. The region had witnessed an AQI of mostly above 300 since Diwali on October 24, 2022.

What measures were taken under Stage III of the GRAP the last time?
Under Stage III, a series of strict bans were implemented on the construction, demolition and mining activities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurgaon, among other parts of the NCR. Non polluting activities, such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry and interior decoration works, were allowed.

Some operations facing the ban were excavation, boring, drilling, welding, loading and unloading of construction materials, drainage work, vehicular movement on an unpaved road, laying sewer and water lines, road construction, waterproofing, cutting and fixing of tiles, stones and other repair works. To ensure non violation of the construction ban, the Delhi government had placed over 580 teams with officials from various departments to work on the same.

The ban, however, did not apply to projects dealing with national security, defence, railways and metro. Also, the ban was not applicable to the ongoing construction of the Noida International Airport, coming up in Jewar, as a delay in the completion of the project can potentially lead to a penalty of around Rs 10 lakh per day.

It is important to note that under Stage IV of the GRAP, the ban would have included curbs like restricting the entry of trucks in Delhi NCR, only 50 percent workforce to operate out of office in public and private sectors, and temporary closure of educational institutions, to name a few.

The Noida Authority sprinkled water on various roads as per CAQMs directives, totaling almost 165 km to control the dust flying along these stretches. Also, the authoritys Horticulture Department washed 25 km of roads, central verges, and plants. It further stated that about 260.75 tonne of Construction and Demolition (C&D) was collected from several sectors of the city, and it was moved to the C&D Processing Plant in Noida Sector 80 for disposal.

Taking cognisance of increasing pollution, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) also started exploring scientific methods of soil stabilisation to regulate construction dust, which is a significant contributor to air pollution. As per Arun Vir Singh, CEO, YEIDA, As the region suffers from poor AQI every winter, the authority invited organisations to give presentations on the subject. If a suitable methodology is found, the authority will look into making it a part of the construction policy.

What has the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) found?
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has found that only about five percent of the large construction and demolition projects in Gurgaon are enrolled on the States web portal for dust control. Gurgaon is believed to have around 3,000 construction sites of 500 sq m or more, of which a little over 150 are registered. Consequently, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has decided to debar these sites from resuming operations once the restrictions under Stage III of GRAP are lifted.

Further, the board has noticed that despite the need to mandatorily install PM 2.5 and PM 10 sensors for feeding real time information into the portal, no large construction site has abided by the CAQM directives.

The board is conducting inspections and issuing notices to the defaulters at the moment however, continued violations may lead to penalties and prosecution at environment courts.

How can a construction ban impact the realty of Delhi NCR?
Presently, over 5.5 lakh residential units are being constructed in Delhi NCR, including Greater Noida West, Yamuna Expressway, New Gurgaon, Noida Expressway, Dwarka Expressway, Central Noida, Greater Faridabad, Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Extension Road. And there are more than 4 lakh units in these areas combined.

According to an industry report, a construction ban due to air pollution could be a serious setback for ongoing projects since residential projects in Delhi NCR typically take 6 to 8 years to complete. Experts opine that banning construction due to poor air quality might have serious consequences. This can delay a project at least three to four months if construction activity is banned for one month.

Does construction ban impact property prices in the region?
According to experts, construction bans have a negligible impact on property prices. The construction ban, however, could delay project delivery. Currently, Greater Noida West has more than 1.3 lakh units under construction, and a construction ban could affect project deliveries in the future.

Furthermore, real estate prices in most cities are not so much determined by environmental concerns as by access, proximity to city centres and major employment centres, urban mobility, and affordability.

Although realty transactions in Delhi NCR have been steadily growing, the constant restrictions may impact project delivery significantly. However, on the brighter side, despite restrictions, housing sales have been strong, and it is hoped that the positive demand continues.