Violators to face fines up to ₹25L or defying Grap curbs: Hry chief secy

The Haryana chief secretary, Vivek Joshi, held a virtual high-level meeting on Wednesday with officials from Gurugram and other NCR areas, instructing them to crack down on construction activities causing pollution under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) stage IV. Officials were directed to impose fines of up to ₹25 lakh and immediately halt any construction work found violating the rules, according to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). 

Joshi, during the meeting, directed the officials to form teams and immediately start taking actions against the violations as large number of complaints are pouring in from various sources.

He also asked the officials to further intensify the preventive measures like using anti-smog guns, water sprinkling and mechanised sweeping to bring down the pollution level.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, Department of Town and Country Planning, Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, and the HSPCB were tasked with conducting intensive inspections across the city. “All these officials have been asked to impose fines immediately on the spot and shut down any ongoing construction violating norms,” said Vijay Choudhary, HSPCB regional officer (south Gurugram). 

While all agencies can inspect construction sites measuring up to 828 square meters (1,000 square yards), the HSPCB has exclusive authority to impose fines on projects with a proposed built-up area of 20,000 square meters or more, officials said.

Choudhary said that the direction was issued as residents had complained about continued construction works across Gurugram even after they were prohibited at present situation. ”Residents had posted on social media platforms by tagging top government officials about large scale as well as small construction activities continuously going on in the sectors and colonies with the GRAP-IV stage in force,” he added.

In addition, the Haryana Transport Department has been instructed to divert commercial vehicles not destined for Gurugram or Delhi via the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway or other alternate routes to reduce vehicular pollution within Gurugram.