Stop construction if 2010 green norms not in place: NGT to builders

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today directed builders in the National Capital Region to stop all construction activities by tomorrow if they had not implemented the environmental guidelines laid down by the government in 2010.

The green panel also rejected a Delhi government plea to exclude essential services like fire, ambulance and jail vans, from its ban on plying of over 10-year old diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR) and grant it six months to implement the ban order on these services.

The NGT, however, allowed the Delhi government to move a "data backed" petition on the issue.

An NGT bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also directed all the Delhi-NCR builders, who have not followed its orders and not taken precautions under 2010 guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry, to stop construction by tomorrow.

"By tomorrow all builders who have not taken all the precautions under MoEF 2010 guidelines, their work must be stopped," the bench said. The guidelines pertain specifically to checking pollution during construction activities and the precautions that need to be taken by the builders.

Noting that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was carrying out massive construction work, the NGT said "they are required to ensure preventive steps to check air pollution."

The Tribunal also passed a slew of directions with regard to construction activity being carried out by builders in Delhi-NCR.

During the hearing, senior advocate Pinaki Misra, appearing for Delhi government, urged the Tribunal to relax the 10-year-old ban order for government and contractual vehicles engaged in essential services like fire brigades, ambulances and jail vans.

"We are going to analyse everything. We are not going to change our orders today. Kindly move a data based application and then come before us. Our order will stand as it is. Bring appropriate data to show how this order can be implemented better," the bench said.

The NGT had three days ago ordered that "all diesel vehicles, heavy or light, which are ten years old will not be permitted on the roads of Delhi and NCR.