Hours after the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority called for halting construction activities in the capital, Noida and Gurgaon administrations Friday ordered a ban on all construction activities in their areas till November 5. Noida’s air quality index dipped to 499, its lowest this season, while it was 469 in Gurgaon — both in the ‘severe’ category.
According to guidelines issued by the Gautam Budh Nagar administration, construction activities, including the use of stone crushers and hot mixers, are banned in Noida and Greater Noida region till 6 am Tuesday. Coal and other fuel-based industries that are yet to shift to piped natural gas will also have to close operations, said officials.
Officials said a decision to shut schools will be taken later. “Since weekends are holidays, we will review the air quality on Sunday and take a decision,” said B N Singh, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar.
For residential and commercial purposes, the use of generator sets have been banned, apart from exceptions listed by the EPCA. In case of brick kilns, only those with zig-zag technology are allowed to operate.
“The administration is coordinating closely with the State electricity departments to ensure that the electricity supply is 24×7 in the area and the use of gensets doesn’t cause further inconvenience,” said Singh.
In Gurgaon, Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri said strict action will be taken against violators. “They will be penalised and an FIR will also be filed against them,” said Khatri.
Meanwhile, dailywage labourers in Noida and Greater Noida remain uncertain about their salaries for the coming days. “Even a single day of no work impacts our incomes,” said Kamlesh, a daily-wage labourer.