Curbs on construction, trucks eased

EPCA DIRECTIONS Construction to be allowed only during the day, tollfree entry for 1,000 trucks stranded on city borders

We take up major construction activity only during the night. If we carry out construction during the day, then traffic would get affected.

PWD OFFICIAL

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Courtappointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Monday partially lifted the 12-day ban on construction activities and allowed the toll-free entry to over 1,000 trucks that were stranded along the city borders since the past five days.

The directions were issued by EPCA on Monday evening as the air quality is expected to improve over the next few days. According to the EPCA order, construction activities in the national capital would be allowed only during the day — between 6am and 6pm. The situation will remain so until further orders, it said.

The order also stated that no new truck, apart from those parked along the city borders, will be allowed entry. Toll-free entry has been allowed between 11pm on Monday and 7am on Tuesday in order to avoid congestion, which may in turn lead to further pollution.

Also, the 12-day ban on industries using coal and biomass in the NCR would be lifted on Tues- day, said EPCA, which issued these directives on the basis of the recommendations made by the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) task force.

MAJOR PROJECTS TO GET AFFECTED

Officials of the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) said till Monday evening, they had not received any communication that the day ban on construction had been lifted. The restrictions on night-time construction will continue.

“The new directive means that construction activities will be banned during the night, which is when major construction is taken up ( from 11pm to 6am),” a PWD official, not wishing to be named, said.

Due to heavy traffic during the day, it is not possible to ferry heavy building material such as iron bars, concrete mixers, slabs and girders to the main site from the plant site, the official said.

“At the RTR parallel flyover project, we do not stop or divert traffic during the day. We take up major construction activity during the night. If we carry out construction during the day, then traffic would get affected,” another official said.

Some of the major construction projects that may get affected i nclude Barapulla Phase-3, tunnel at Pragati Maidan, flyover at Noida-delhi Link Road, construction of an underpass and two flyovers in Mahipalpur area, Dhaula Kuan corridor redevelopment project, and construction of a glass facade at the newly- opened Signature Bridge, among others.

TOLL-FREE ENTRY

Over 1,000 trucks are parked at the borders of Delhi for the past five days, as they were not allowed to enter the city due to the ban that came into effect on November 8.

On Monday, EPCA said it would only allow these trucks to enter the city. No other destined or non-destined trucks would be given entry, it said.

Police said it will be difficult to distinguish between new trucks and those that are already parked at the borders.

“No new trucks will be allowed entry and the Delhi Police will increase its manpower at all border entry points to ensure that there is no congestion and that the number of trucks entering are limited to those that are already at the entry gate. We will continue this restriction so that there is largescale diversion of trucks on the Western and Eastern peripheral expressways and other roads,” said EPCA chairman Bhure Lal said in the order.

Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said, “We will comply with EPCA directions. The situation will be reviewed on Tuesday for further action.”

Government data stated that between November 8 and 11, a total of 2,271 trucks were turned back from the 124 entry points into Delhi. 0-50 201-300 51-100 301-400 101-200 401-500

Prominent pollutant