A day after the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, lifted the ban on all construction activities in the national capital, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has re-imposed it. The environment watchdog also questioned the LG’s decision to let construction resume despite only a marginal improvement in air quality data over the last one week.
The tribunal banned construction in all such areas where the suspended particle matter in air, technically called PM10, is higher than 431 units.
The NGT had imposed a ban on all construction activities in Delhi on November 8, for seven days, which was subsequently lifted by the LG on the ground that the order had led to loss of income for labourers. This argument though, did not go down too well with the tribunal which said construction workers should get paid despite the ban on construction activity.
The Haryana government also invited the environment watchdog’s wrath, and was asked to furnish the air quality index data collected from Faridabad and other adjoining areas of Delhi. NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the tribunal may conduct daily hearings to address Delhi-NCR’s worsening air pollution problem.
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