NOIDA: The state pollution control board has clarified that construction activities that are less polluting, such as steel binding and carpentry, are permitted under GRAP stages 3 and 4, provided strict dust control measures are followed. The clarification came in response to a complaint by CREDAI about enforcement officers in the city misinterpreting CAQM guidelines and imposing a blanket ban on all construction activities.
The pollution board reiterated that only specific dust-generating tasks, such as excavation and demolition, are prohibited under GRAP.
In a letter dated Nov 22, CREDAI NCR secretary Gaurav Gupta highlighted that local enforcement officials were imposing a blanket ban on all construction and demolition (C&D) activities, contrary to CAQM’s directives. CREDAI argued that less polluting tasks such as steel binding, shuttering, and carpentry work are explicitly allowed under CAQM guidelines, provided they adhere to dust prevention norms. The association claimed that the misinterpretation was causing significant delays in construction projects, distressing thousands of workers, and impacting homebuyers.
CREDAI referenced CAQM orders issued on Sept 17, Nov 14, and Nov 17, which outline actions under GRAP. The guidelines ban specific dust-generating activities such as excavation, piling, and road construction but explicitly permit less polluting tasks under strict compliance with the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Rules.
“This misinterpretation has led to undue stoppage of work, causing distress to thousands of construction workers in the NCR region and delays in critical projects, thereby causing irreparable losses and damages to homebuyers,” Gupta wrote, urging the UPPCB to issue clear instructions to enforcement teams.
Utsav Sharma, UPPCB regional officer, reiterated that GRAP guidelines do not impose a blanket ban on all construction and demolition activities at any stage. During Stages 3 and 4, specific guidelines apply to construction sites to mitigate dust pollution.
“During Stage 4 of GRAP, all activities prohibited under Stage 3 shall continue to be prohibited. Besides this, as in the case of Stage 3, relatively less polluting/less dust-generating activities are permitted during this period as well, subject to strict compliance with C&D Waste Management Rules and directions,” Sharma wrote.
UPPCB urged all construction sites in Noida and Greater Noida to adopt specific measures to minimise dust pollution and comply with environmental guidelines. These measures include using water sprinklers, dust suppressants, and anti-smog guns to control airborne particles.
Nikhil Hawelia, joint secretary of CREDAI NCR and MD of Hawelia Group, said, “The UPPCB’s clarification has eased concerns within the real estate sector, as work has resumed at several sites in Noida now.”
