MCD imposes ₹33.95 lakh fine on construction sites over Grap-IV violations

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has imposed challans worth Rs 33.95 lakh on construction sites over the past week for violating restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb air pollution, officials said on Saturday.

The civic body said construction and demolition activities remain strictly prohibited in Delhi during the GRAP-IV period, in line with directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

MCD enforcement teams carried out inspections across all zones and physically verified 1,792 construction sites, issuing 771 challans where violations were detected.

In November alone, the corporation had issued over 900 challans amounting to Rs 1.5 crore for similar violations, the officials said.

As part of the intensified enforcement drive, the MCD imposed a Rs 5 lakh challan on a builder in Dwarka's Sector 19B, besides levying penalties at another site for failure to adopt dust mitigation measures.

During field visits, MCD officials also sensitised workers and contractors about GRAP norms and dust-control measures, directing builders and site owners to strictly comply with the guidelines in force during GRAP-IV.

Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy towards violations, the MCD said continuous monitoring, inspections and strict enforcement would continue, urging citizens and developers to cooperate with enforcement agencies in the larger interest of public health and air quality.