Construction activities only during daytime: EPCA

Construction activities will be permitted only during the daytime from 6 am to 6 pm, the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA has directed authorities.

It also said heavy vehicles stationed at the Delhi border will not be charged any toll tax till Tuesday.

Environment Pollution Control Authority Chairperson Bhure Lal responded to the viability of the recommendations of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)-led task force, which said the entry of heavy vehicles and construction activities should be allowed to continue in Delhi only during the daytime due to poor dispersion of pollutants at night.

"EPCA has discussed the matter with the traffic police to understand the viability of the directions to allow truck traffic only during daytime between 6 am and 6 pm and has found this unfeasible," Lal said in a letter to Delhi, Haryana and Punjab chief secretaries.

"We have directed for removal of (the) environment compensation charge and toll so that there is no congestion on the entry points and that the accumulated trucks can enter," he said.

However, the EPCA is in agreement with the CPCB task force on the matter of allowing construction activity only during daytime between 6am-6pm. This direction must be complied with, the EPCA chairperson said.

The ban on construction activities and industries using coal and biomass was imposed from November 1-12, and that on entry of heavy vehicles was imposed from November 8-12.

Lal also wrote to the joint commissioner of police (traffic), saying all trucks at the border would be allowed to enter Delhi, but would not be asked to stop to pay toll or ECC from 11 pm on Monday to 7 am on Tuesday.

"By relaxing the payment of toll-ECC, the trucks can move without any stop and this will reduce congestion and reduce pollution. The SDMC is directed to issue the necessary orders so that no ECC or toll is collected for this limited period," the letter said.

He added that no new trucks would be allowed entry and the Delhi Police would increase their manpower at all entry points to ensure that there was no congestion, and that the numbers of trucks entering were limited to those that are already at the entry gates.

"We will continue this restriction so that there is large-scale diversion of trucks on the Western and Eastern expressways and other roads," it said.

The Delhi-NCR's air quality has been deteriorating for the past three weeks, prompting the authorities to implement a slew of measures under the graded response action plan (GRAP) to combat pollution.

The GRAP imposes steps depending upon the level of pollution.