Construction workers in Delhi to get ₹5,000 aid till pollution related ban: CM

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the labour minister to provide ₹5,000 aid to workers due to pollution related ban on construction work.

Construction workers will receive a financial assistance of ₹5,000 per month from the Delhi government during the time construction activities are prohibited in the national capital, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday. The Delhi government has banned construction and demolition activities under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan following Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) order.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI)

“Construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of pollution. I have directed Labour Minister, Sh Manish Sisodia, to give ₹5000 pm as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Delhi's air quality improved marginally on Wednesday morning owing to relatively better meteorological conditions, with the CAQM saying there is no immediate need to implement curbs under the fourth stage of the GRAP. The AQI of the city stood at 376 at 9 am. The air quality is likely to improve further on the back of stronger winds from Thursday, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai has appealed to the residents to work from home and use shared transport to reduce vehicular pollution. On the air pollution emanating from stubble burning in Punjab, Rai said that the responsibility also lies with the central government.

The GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in Delhi and adjoining areas according to the severity of the situation. It classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: stage 1 - "poor" (AQI 201-300), stage 2 - "very poor" (AQI 301-400), stage 3 - "severe" (AQI 401-450) and stage 4 - "severe plus" (AQI above 450).