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Grap imposed, but provisions openly flouted across Delhi
The Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi, which aims to improve air quality, is being poorly enforced with construction and waste violations observed.
The first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) was enforced in Delhi on October 6 this year. As the air quality in the Capital continued to deteriorate, owing to an array of factors including farm fires in neighbouring states and meteorological conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked the fourth and final stage of Grap on November 5 — rolling out heavy diesel-based restrictions, including a ban on diesel-run light commercial vehicles (LCVs) registered outside Delhi and those not conforming to BS6 emission norms from entering the Capital with immediate effect.
As part of Grap, enforcement agencies are required to focus on road dust and ensure construction sites cover their loose soil and construction material, while also aggressively tracking the open burning of garbage.
Read here: Delhi’s air quality remains ‘severe’, no immediate respite in sight
However, things looked alarming on the ground during HT’s spot checks on Friday, wherein several areas lacked proper enforcement and oblivious from the fact that the national capital was undergoing a health emergency.
Constructions continue unabated
The largest of construction projects, be it highways, roads, or the laying of pipelines were halted on November 5, three days after private construction work was stopped. During its spot check, HT was able to find both these violations easily.
In a busy bylane in east Delhi’s Vinod Nagar, construction work on a house was in full swing, not only missing wind-breakers required to cover any construction site but the material also lying in the open. A cement mixer churned fresh cement as labourers worked at the site, unaware of the ban.
At Mandawali, HT spotted an open drain being built, also banned under Grap. The area of the road was covered with a green cloth which failed to do its job even as dust flew around.
Atul Goyal, who heads United Residents Joint Action (URJA), a consortium of more than 2,500 resident welfare associations (RWAs), said they have been receiving inputs from RWAs regarding private construction. “At some places, work is going on discreetly, particularly on the inside of under-construction houses. However, construction material is found lying uncovered,” said Goyal.
Roads replete with dust
The Delhi government had on Tuesday also launched a special sprinkling drive across the city to bring down pollutants and dust and deployed 215 mobile anti-smog guns. However, at busy stretches like Daryaganj, road dust floated in the air every time a vehicle passed by. At Shastri Park, mounds of uncovered soil were blowing away dust onto the main road.
A source apportionment study by IIT Kanpur in 2016 showed that dust from roads, digging, and agriculture accounts for the highest suspended particulate matter (PM) sources in Delhi, contributing 38% of PM2.5 and 56% of PM10 in Delhi.
Waste burning adding to PM2.5
Grap measures require teams to ensure municipal solid waste is lifted regularly and that the prohibition on waste burning is enforced. However, violations were discovered on this front too. HT saw open waste being burnt near the Anand Vihar ISBT. Anand Vihar is one of Delhi’s 13 identified pollution hot spots and had an average AQI of 406 (severe) at 4pm on Friday.
Similarly, waste pickers were also seen setting waste on fire atop the Bhalswa landfill site, setting out plumes of smoke in the air.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi did not respond to HT’s queries regarding the open burning of waste.
Vinod Kumar, 56, RWA president, DDA Flats Anand Vihar, said several RWAs in the area complain about waste not being lifted regularly. “This leads to waste accumulation in the area which is often set on fire,” he said.
Prohibited vehicles still plying in Delhi
On Friday, environment minister Gopal Rai carried out a surprise inspection at the Sarai Kale Khan ISBT and found that some BS3 and BS 4 buses had entered the Capital despite a ban. Private buses were also found parked illegally at the ISBT, with the minister instructing the transport department to run a special campaign to check this.
Grap mandates no BS3 petrol or BS4 diesel four-wheelers ply in Delhi. There is a ban on LCVs registered outside of Delhi, a ban on entry of trucks as well as medium goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles.
The Delhi government had on November 9 announced that its cabinet ministers would personally oversee the implementation of Grap and they had found trucks were still entering Delhi, particularly through the smaller border points.
“A surprise inspection was conducted at Sarai Kale Khan ISBT to ensure strict adherence to GRAP 4 rules. The buses coming from outside were checked there and we found that some BS-III and BS-IV private buses are still entering Delhi. The transport department was instructed to run a special campaign for this,” Rai posed on X. Interestingly, HT saw that roads were being washed and water was being sprinkled at the RRTS Sarai Kale Khan site, ahead of the minister’s visit.
Rai, a day earlier, had formed a six-member special task force to oversee proper implementation of Grap. The task force, headed by the environment special secretary, is aimed at giving the government’s fight against pollution special impetus, Rai said.
Read here: Can only seek their mercy: Delhi LG as farms smoulder in Punjab
A member of the task force, requesting anonymity, said their role was to influence departments to enhance actions during stage 4.
“Enhanced actions during Grap 4 don’t mean cleaning the city overnight of systemic issues. People should come forward to lodge complaints through the Green Delhi app. Air pollution is just a symptom of bad urban governance, which should not be raked up by citizens who become sensitive only during November and December alone,” said the official.
The Delhi government did not respond to queries seeking comments.
Dipankar Saha, former head of the Central Pollution Control Board air laboratory said Grap was an emergency level plan and requires action with similar priority. “Until the measures are enforced on the ground, we cannot see its impact. Such violations only point to the need to strengthen enforcement and fix accountability,” he said.
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