Manesar civic body imposes fine on two construction sites for Grap violations

The Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM) on Friday said it has imposed a cumulative fine of ₹5.5 lakh penalty on two construction sites for violating measures recommended under the graded response action plan, which kicked in on October 1 to keep a check on winter pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The penalties were imposed by MCM after it was revealed that the two sites were not registered with the web portal of the state government, despite instructions that any project site larger than 500 square metre must be registered with the portal. MCM officials said they have imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on the site in Sector 99A and a penalty of ₹50,000 on the site in Sector 90.

As per the fines issued by MCM, one of the construction sites is in Sector 90 while another is in Sector 99A.

According to a municipal official, they are regularly inspecting construction sites and wherever demolition is taking place in an area larger than 500 square metres, and they ask them to stop work if there any violations of the Grap measures.

The sites larger than 500 square metres must get registered on the web portal created by the state pollution control board for dust control, the officials reiterated.

“We have been inspecting these sites and telling them to shut operations if these are not registered on the web portal,” an official said, on the condition of anonymity.

According to the Commission for Air Quality Management, which is tasked to control pollution in Delhi-NCR, Haryana started the web portal in 2021. In its recent directions, the state pollution control board has strictly asked construction sites to get registered on the portal; else action would be initiated against them.

The CAQM has mandated that all project sites of more than 500 square metres must register on the state-wise web portal and they have a provision of video fencing and should be connected with remote technology so that these can be monitored through the web portal.

“The project proponents are required to install reliable and low-cost sensors at the C&D project sites. It is mandatory for the proponents to install reliable and economical PM2.5 and PM10 sensors at the project sites and link them to a platform with live dashboard accessibility for Central Pollution Control Board to monitor the activities,” the CAQM directions said.