Stop construction work at Pragati Maidan: SDMC

NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has told NBCC to stop construction activities at Pragati Maidan with immediate effect till further orders. The Corporation has told in plain words to NBCC/ Shapoorji Pallonji, working on Pragati Maidan, to immediately stop all construction/ demolition activities at the site “or face the music” under the DMC Act, 1957. The Corporation has asked NBCC to obtain the sanction plan from SDMC or produce copy if obtained from any competent agency.

“We have told NBCC to immediately stop all construction and demolition activities of the Pragati Maidan project after NBCC seems to have ignored earlier request of SDMC asking the NBCC to follow NGT guidelines, and stimulated its result-oriented efforts to implement actions mentioned in the Graded Action Plan (GRAP) of the Supreme Court-appointed watchdog EPCA even before Saturday receiving a missive from it. The EPCA will implement the Graded Response Action Plan from Monday,” said Corporation officials.

“The order to stop construction will, however, remain alive till the air quality level is brought to a satisfactory level as per the standards specified by the EPCA. It is a matter of great concern as air pollution level has been found to be moderate in and around city and the same may worsen further. They have been asked to word by word enforce the instructions of EPCA and NGT in this regard,” added the official.

The Supreme Court had directed that GRAP would work in the NCR from October 15 to March 15. Now, the air quality is poor and the focus would be on basic measures but if the pollution level rises with time, the action plan will shift to emergency categories. GRAP has different plans for different levels of air pollution.