Gurugram civic body begins Graded Response Action Plan preparations

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has started preparing for the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which will come into effect on October 1, civic body officials said on Thursday. An official release by the district administration stated that GRAP will be implemented in Gurugram district from October 1. The orders to this effect were issued by P Raghavendra Rao, chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), while presiding over a virtual meeting with officials from all districts in Haryana from Chandigarh.

Subhash Yadav, nodal officer, environment and sustainability wing, MCG, said that the corporation has prepared estimates in excess of ₹1 crore for procuring water tankers for sprinkling operations during the GRAP period. Last year, the MCG used over 110 water tankers for sprinkling water across the city. More than 60% of these were procured just before Diwali which fell on November 4 last year.

“The water tankers will be divided zone-wise and will be initially hired till February next year. The MCG will take a call on extending the service, depending on requirements and weather conditions. We want to ensure that an adequate number of tankers and other machinery are in place before October 1 so that large-scale GRAP operations can be initiated right away,” said Yadav.

In the state-level meeting, the HSPCB chairman further directed all municipal corporations to focus on dust control and waste management. Yadav said that water tankers and mechanised road sweeping machines will be used for dust mitigation. “Besides water tankers, 14 road sweeping machines, and around a dozen fire tenders (the Gurugram fire department comes under the ambit of the MCG) will be used for controlling dust for the next four months, beginning October 1. Further, officials will also check if construction site materials are covered. The MCG will prepare a city-wide plan for GRAP by next week where duties will be assigned to concerned officials,” Yadav informed.

Yadav further informed said that the corporation will also constitute teams next week to combat the burning of waste, monitor construction activities, manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste, and adhere to other environmental norms. The HSPCB chairman also announced that the use of coal will not be allowed in eateries, hotels, and restaurants. MCG teams will also be formed next week for night patrolling and surprise checks according to GRAP measures, Yadav added.