Illegal construction activity adds dust to Capital’s toxic air cocktail

On the day Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) slipped into the ‘severe’ category, prompting the imposition of Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), spot checks by HT found rampant small and mid-scale construction ongoing across the city, leading to widespread release of dust.

- Snehil Sinha, Aaditya Khatwani and Aheli Das

To be sure, curbs on private construction come into effect under the Grap Stage 3.

‘At multiple locations, residents said that despite repeated complaints, civic teams have failed to act. Officials from multiple agencies admitted that enforcement is proving difficult due to manpower shortages and poor coordination between departments.

At the busy Sarojini Nagar market, a thick haze hung over the area as construction activity ‘went on behind half-drawn barricades. Trucks carrying cement and sand, without any covering, moved in and out.

“The entire Vinayak Road is always covered in dust due to ongoing construction. Work at a school near the metro station started recently, but there’s no protective cover. All our shops get coated in dust by the evening,” said Ashok Kalra, president of the Sarojini Nagar Shopkeepers’ Association.