In a violation case of the Supreme Court’s pollution norms Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday ordered the sealing of a NBCC India construction site for operating in the night. The minister has also ordered the imposition of Rs 1 crore fine on NBCC for violating construction ban in the city.
The order comes after Gopal Rai called an emergency meeting of top officials over the alleged violation of the SC’s pollution norms. The meeting was attended by officials from the Delhi Traffic Police department, environment department, transport department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and NBCC India.
The Supreme Court had re-imposed the ban on construction activities in the region in November in view of increased pollution levels during the winter season in Delhi-NCR. The court had directed the NCR states to provide subsistence to workers from the funds collected as labour cess for the period during which the ban remained in force.
The Delhi government in its order said that the ban on construction and the entry of trucks, barring CNG, e-trucks and those engaged in essential services will continue till further orders.
However, these norms were violated openly in the dead of night at many places. While digging work and metro construction were stealthily going on, diesel trucks were also allowed to enter Delhi. According to an investigation report, earth movers, drilling machines and generators were seen working in full swing under bright halogen lights at a NBCC India construction site in Delhi’s Netaji Nagar at around 4 am on December 16
