‘Labour toh sab chali gayi’: Inside Delhi’s drive to stop construction amid pollution

On Thursday afternoon, a team of officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) stopped at a construction site in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar. They found that construction work had ceased since November 1, with no workers present on site. The officials were part of a joint enforcement team mandated to inspect construction sites and ensure compliance with a 15-day ban on dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities, imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) due to historically high pollution levels in November.

The ban, effective from November 5, also prohibits outdoor construction activities except for essential public infrastructure projects until January 31. To monitor compliance, joint enforcement teams have been formed by the government to inspect construction and demolition sites, issue fines, and track illegal dumping of construction waste.

Over the first five days of the ban, fines exceeding Rs 1.5 crore were imposed for violations, including driving without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate and flouting the construction ban. In Laxmi Nagar alone, challans amounting to Rs 6 lakh had been issued by November 5. The officials inspected multiple sites, finding that most construction activities had indeed stopped and were covered with green netting and blue sheets.

One site had been under construction until October 31, with workers leaving after the ban was imposed. The team found no violations at any of the inspected sites during their shift, indicating a positive response to the new regulations.