NEW DELHI: The implementation of measures under the Graded Response Action Plan in the wake of critical air pollutants persisting at 'severe +' levels in Delhi for over 48 hours is going to hit many construction projects. With GRAP being enforced in NCR with immediate effect on Tuesday night, work being carried out by Delhi government, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the corporations are likely to be stalled.
As GRAP measures came into effect, DMRC officials said they would follow the prescribed anti-pollution measures. One of them said at present, construction work was under way at six sites for the three approved corridors of its Phase IV project: Aerocity-Tughlaqabad, Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg and Majlis Park-Maujpur.
PWD's Pragati Maidan tunnel and underpass projects, Chandni Chowk redevelopment, Barapullah Phase III, Ashram underpass, redevelopment of nine major city roads and the construction of the new block at Lok Nayak Hospital which was recently begun by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal are among the Delhi government projects that are certain to face delays due to the ban on construction under GRAP.
Some of the municipal corporation development projects that can be impacted due to construction ban include the railway overbridge construction in Sultanpuri, new waste management plants in places like Burari and Ghoda-Gujran and the multilevel parking facilities in Karol Bagh and Idgah. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation's mega shopping complex at Gandhi Maidan near Chandni Chowk, already running behind its proposed deadline, is set to face further problems in completion in time. The south corporation's work on the tower automated parking lots in places like Adhchini and Lajpat Nagar is also likely to be impacted.
DMRC officials claimed they were following stringent pollution control measures at all the six construction sites since October. The major focus has been on checking continuous dust pollution. For this, wind barricades at least six metres high were installed around the sites and other measures were taken to prevent the escape of dust. DMRC also put up wheel washing facilities at the exit gates to prevent deposition of soil or muck on public roads by vehicles leaving the construction sites, apart from ensuring that vehicles transporting construction material were always covered.
The official claimed that DMRC is also using nozzle-based mist systems in addition to water sprinkling to control dust emission at the construction sites. Water is sprayed to suppress dust during the excavation of soil and debris or during demolition or in specific dust generating activities. Also, soil, sand aggregates, debris of any kind and all dust prone materials stored at the construction sites are fully covered.
Teams headed by senior officials of DMRC's environment department have also been carrying out special inspection drives at the work sites to enforce the adherence to the pollution control measures. "Keeping the air quality in mind, DMRC is concentrating on undertaking activities that are non-polluting, such as underground works, electrical works, wiring, signalling works, etc," the official said.