'Is Construction Banned In Delhi?': Republic TV Ground Report Exposes Work In Full Swing

New Delhi: As the government has imposed stringent measures to tackle severe air pollution in Delhi, almost acting on a war footing as AQI levels breached 400, an exclusive report by Republic TV has exposed that construction work is going on in full swing at the heart of Delhi, despite all restrictions.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Saturday activated the stringent Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV) which banned construction work in the capital. It also mandated that vehicles carrying construction work will not be allowed in the national capital. However, the Republic TV report pointed out that all such rules were flouted as trucks, dumpers and concrete mixers were found moving in central Delhi and construction work was in full swing in several places.  

Republic TV tracked several such places were construction work was on, in central Delhi, from Thursday night till 5 am on Friday. While all construction work was supposed to stop 48 hours back as per government norms, the report revealed that mega projects were still on. 

In one such construction site at Sarojoni Nagar, where work was underway, the security guards stationed outside the gates, denied any such activity. Labourers working at the site fled away as the reporter tried to speak with them. Visuals from the site showed that people were deployed at the place, as suggested by the smoke, and the lights turned on, and they went into hiding the moment they heard about the Republic crew approaching the site. 

At another site, when the reporter confronted a truck driver and asked why work was still on despite GRAP-IV restrictions being in place, he said, "We have permission." The report indicated that the places where these ‘illegal’ construction work was going on was in the upscale central Delhi area where residences of top political leaders in the country are located.

As the crew went in to explore another such construction site, the security guard who was posted outside the gate said that he was not in a position to share any information.

"We cant reply," the security guard said when asked by the reporter about the full-swing construction going on, inside, at the site, and asked for cameras to be shut.

In another instance, the labourer working at a construction site appeared unaware about the ban on construction work imposed in the national capital to tackle high pollution levels.

"Is construction halted?" the labourer said in amazement when confronted by the reporter about working despite the ban. 

When asked by the reporter about his place of work, he said, "I work here till 5 am," adding that he had been working in the last few days despite the ban.

However, initially he lied, saying, “The work has been suspended.”

In another such site, a supervisor who is in charge of trucks carrying construction material, said that they were given passes, and were not aware of such ban.

"We are just given passes to bring trucks," the person in-charge of some construction trucks, including concrete mixers said, speaking to Republic TV.

At another place at Sarojini Nagar, trucks carrying construction materials were seen stopping immediately after seeing the reporter. The place was in the close proximity to a police station in Sarojini Nagar.

All the ground reports by Republic TV showed that almost everyone was dodging the question about why they were working, despite the government ban on construction work. The construction work was underway not at any remote location but right in central Delhi, under the nose of the Delhi police, the authorities and the government.

As per the GRAP-IV norms, there is a complete restriction of heavy vehicles carrying construction materials along with ban on diesel vehicles and BS-IV vehicles. Despite these norms in force, trucks, concrete mixers, slabs were being ferried on heavy duty vehicles in the Delhi, as per the exclusive report by Republic TV.

Meanwhile, Delhi woke up to poor air quality on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 387 at around 8 am, placing it in the 'very poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Air quality in the city deteriorated further compared to Thursday, when the AQI stood at 373 at 4 pm.

ALSO READ: Delhi Chokes, People Suffocate In Toxic Air: Lok Sabha Adjourned Sine Die Without Pollution Debate