Delhi Air Worsens: Why Has ‘Mega Project’ Continued Unchecked?

A muti-crore construction project is underway in Delhi, which is flouting all green norms, even as the city chokes.

Even as air pollution levels soar in the capital, a mega construction project is underway, that is violating all environmental norms. The central government’s own apex body has asked for action to be taken against the project for violations, yet construction at the site continues unabated.

A multi-crore exhibition-cum-convention centre, an executive accommodation block, and a tunnel are being built at the India Trade Promotion Organisation headquarters in Delhi, as part of the redevelopment of the demolished Pragati Maidan centre.

The mega project is being built by a central government institution, the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the NBCC has been continuing to undertake massive construction activities in not only the heart of the city but right under the nose of the Supreme Court, the NGT and MoEF&CC and EPCA — institutions and agencies that have been spearheading the war on pollution.

Media reports in 2018 had exposed how environment clearance was given to the project after construction was started. Other reports showed how civil contractors had not taken any dust control measures for redeveloping the site.

And this time in 2019 there is fresh trouble. The government’s top body for monitoring pollution — the Central Pollution Control Board — in a stinging indictment has submitted a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) demanding strict action to be taken against the violators.

A slew of violations had been recorded by the CPCB in a report submitted to the NGT on 25 July 2019.

What Pollution Control Board Report Says

1. A number of site inspection visits by scientists from CPCB with regard to the disposal of waste and construction dust, record a number of violations (remember construction dust is a significant contributor to the city’s air pollution). The report submitted to the NGT observes that ‘NBCC and PWD are repeat offenders and have not responded in compliance with directions’.
2. The sites were further visited by the CPCB on 26 February 2019, and were found non-compliant with regard to implementation of construction dust and waste-management rules.
3. A fresh inspection of the site was conducted on 26 April 2019, and it was observed that there was progress made by the NBCC, but no improvement was found for the part pertaining to PWD-GNCTD. While the NBCC (in charge of implementing the project) had deposited the environment fine imposed, the PWD –GNCTD (Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi) still hadn't.
4. With regard to the RMP (Ready-to-Mix plant) used for construction activity, the Consent to Operate hasn’t been obtained. While it acknowledges that during the site visit by CPCB team the RMP was lying unused, it notes that the ‘possibility of operation of in-house RMPs can't be ruled out’.
5. The report further states that ‘the Ministry of environment, forest and climate change has so far not issued any directions to the ‘Project Proponent (ITPO) in context to the Environmental Clearance under question’.

The CPCB Report thus, does not spare anyone — neither the central nor the state government in Delhi. It points out that all agencies concerned across the spectrum — PWD, NBCC, ITPO, GNCTD, have been mute spectators to the violations taking place. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), as well as the ambitious National Clean Air Action Plan l (launched by the central government in 2019) specifically mentions stringent action to be taken against the polluting agencies. Yet, not a single action has taken place.

Violations by Mega Construction Project: Why Neither State Nor Centre Wants to Take Onus

An Environmental Clearance is issued subject to a condition that work cannot start without consent from the Pollution Control Board, under the provisions of the Air Act and Water Act. Violation of the same invites, at the very least, a penalty of one and a half years of imprisonment, in addition to the stoppage of construction.

While the capital gets ready for implementing the odd/even policy, it seems like no one wants to take on this mega construction project and its violations — neither the Centre or the state.

The capital is currently reeling under an air apocalypse, even as the government has ordered for the ‘Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)’ for air pollution management for Delhi, and implemented by Environmental Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA). Incidentally, a ''Source Apportionment of PM2.5 and PM10 of Delhi NCR for Identification of Major Sources'' done by TERI in 2018 noted that 15 percent of the pollution in winter is due to dust and the construction sector.
The NGT heard the matter in October 2019 without passing any orders, and posted the matter for January 2020. By that time, the peak pollution time will be over, as will the bulk of the construction activities.

(Bahar Dutt is an award winning environment journalist. The Air quality Index at the time of writing this piece was ‘hazardous’. She tweets at @bahardutt. This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)