The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday questioned the Lieutenant-Governor and the Delhi government’s decision to lift the ban on construction and demolition activities in the Capital, saying that the air quality is still unsafe.
The green panel said that it is still not “safe” outside as the levels of particulate matter (PM) are beyond permissible limits in the ambient air quality.
“Why have you lifted the ban on construction activity in Delhi? How can you say it is safe outside? The levels of PM10 and PM2.5 are still five times higher than the safe limits,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
The Tribunal said that whenever PM10 and PM2.5 are found to be in excess of 431 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) and 251 ug/m3 respectively, then construction activity should be immediately stopped.
It also directed the Central Pollution Control Board to submit air quality data of Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and other places near Delhi by Thursday.
‘Ban lifted considering plight of labourers’
The counsel appearing for the Delhi government informed the bench that a review meeting on the issue of air pollution was held on Tuesday in which a decision to lift the ban was taken.
In the meeting, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPPC) had said that it recorded a 30 per cent fall in PM10 levels and 25 per cent fall in PM2.5 level in the last week, the lawyer said.
He said that in view of loss of income to daily wage labourers, the L-G had lifted the ban imposed on construction and demolition activity in the city.
The bench, however, said: “Under Industrial Disputes Act and labour laws you have wide powers. Why can’t you order the builders to pay the money to labourers despite stoppage of work? The work at construction sites has not been halted due to these people (labourers). It has been stopped because the builders have caused air pollution. They must be asked to pay wages as part of corporate social responsibility.”
To curb air pollution in the Capital, Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has ordered that trucks coming from other States will be allowed to enter Delhi only after midnight till January 31 next year.
The ban on firecrackers and diesel generating sets will continue. — PTI
Why have you lifted the ban on construction activity in Delhi? How can you say it is safe outside? The levels of PM10 and PM2.5 are still five times higher than the safe limit
