Delhi bans construction work from December 10 to January 20 amid pollution curbs

CM Rekha Gupta noted that the ban was imposed last year too under GRAP but construction activities continued to take place despite restrictions.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced a complete ban on construction activities from December 10 this year to January 20 next year across Delhi, as part of measures to curb air pollution during winter months.

The Winter Pollution Master Plan notified by the government on July 1 also mentions that the construction ban will remain in force, irrespective of the GRAP restrictions at the time. (Reuters)

Notably, the ban was imposed last year too under the graded response action plan (Grap), however, construction activities continued to take place despite restrictions.

In a post on X, Gupta said construction sites larger than 500 square metres would be monitored through Delhi government’s dust monitoring portal and AI-enabled cameras during the ban period. She also urged residents to report violations to the authorities.

“Construction will be completely banned from December 10 to January 20. If you spot any violation, inform MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), your MLA, or me directly. Last time, even under Grap, some construction continued behind covers,” Gupta wrote in the post.

The Winter Pollution Master Plan notified by the government on July 1 also mentions that the construction ban will remain in force, irrespective of the Grap restrictions at the time. Additionally, the plan also mentions that all dust generating demolition activities will be banned from November 1 to January 31.

According to Gupta, the government will use real-time monitoring to identify such violations this year. Alerts generated through the dust portal and AI-enabled cameras will be sent to the government’s command and control centre for further action.

Delhi government had launched the AI-powered dust portal 2.0 in July this year to strengthen monitoring of construction and demolition sites and improve enforcement of dust-control measures. Developed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the upgraded portal integrates geographic information system (GIS) mapping, live 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom cameras, PM10 and PM2.5 sensors and AI-based analytics.

The system monitors construction sites measuring 500 square yards or more and generates yellow, orange and red alerts based on pollution levels. It also enables digital issuance of compliance certificates and enforcement notices in case of violations. The upgraded portal provides district-wise dashboards, pollution trend data and hotspot analysis. Officials and project proponents can also remotely monitor sites through live camera feeds, sensor readings and AI-generated analysis.