Grap to be enforced in Gurugram to check pollution, air quality

Officials of civic agencies in the city said they would start implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) from Friday as part of the annual exercise to check deteriorating air quality during winter months, even as Gurugram recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 172 (moderate) on Thursday

Officials of civic agencies in the city said they would start implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) from Friday as part of the annual exercise to check deteriorating air quality during winter months, even as Gurugram recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 172 (moderate) on Thursday.

Uncovered construction material is a major source of dust pollution that leads to dip in air quality. Under Grap, contractors leaving materials uncovered are liable to face action. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Vivek Gill, the superintending engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the nodal officer for Grap implementation, said that six teams have been formed for looking into polluting activities.

“Directions have been issued to officials concerned to start implementing all concerned Grap measures from Friday. Each team has specific instructions and they will be submitting daily reports and weekly reports on all measures executed for further perusal,” Gill said.

Grap was drafted by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (Epca) and enforced on October 15 every year since 2017, amid the stubble burning season across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Officials of the Gurugram agencies said that even as pre-emptive Grap measures were under consideration for implementation, they will enforce all measures listed by the CPCB on Tuesday.

“Grap is already there and to implement the same, a subcommittee has already been formed. However, whether any modified Grap unlike what used to be in earlier years will be there, is still under consideration,” a senior official of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, who did not want to be named, said.

Kuldeep Singh, regional officer of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), said, “All Grap measures as listed by the CPCB [Central Pollution Control Board] in its meeting on Tuesday will be implemented in the city from Friday onwards. Besides this, the CBCP had also asked brick kilns to be closed in the city. However, this latest direction will have little impact in Gurugram district.”

In a meeting chaired by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) with the government agencies in Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, the pollution monitoring body recommended Grap measures listed under the poor category and some measures under the very poor category should kick in pre-emptively from October 15.

A CAQM member, requesting anonymity, said, “We are considering if it’s (pre-emptive Grap measures) feasible and we do want to take strong action.”

“All conventional Grap measures will be followed as per norms, unless directions are issued otherwise,” Gill said.

According to MCG officials, measures such as extensive use of mechanised road sweeping and sprinkling of water have already been initiated since Monday. “Since we already had the necessary machinery for sprinkling water and road sweeping, it was decided to initiate it as soon as the air quality started deteriorating,” an MCG official privy to the matter said.

From Friday, the MCG will take action against hotels and eateries found burning coal and wood, besides curbing open waste burning.

Gill said officials will have the responsibility of identifying pollution hotspots, carrying out night patrolling to check Grap enforcement, ensure scientific disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, identify stretches with high dust accumulation, and ensure environmental rules are followed by MCG contractors in the construction of roads, stormwater drains and sewerage line projects.

Officials of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) said that their role in controlling pollution will start next week. “Tenders have been issued for procurement of water sprinkling machines as well as for hiring outsourced staff to initiate Grap measures in the city. We are expecting to start on-ground operations from next week,” a senior official with the GMDA’s environment wing, requesting anonymity, said.

The GMDA official said that 71 wind augmentation purifying units (Wayu), which were installed last year, will be individually assessed to check if they are operating properly and 48 more machines will be added.

Wayu machines are primarily located at pollution hotspots that witness heavy traffic congestion. The machine filters primary pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10), and convert them into carbon dioxide, or carbon monoxide.

GMDA officials said that these machines can help reduce PM 2.5 levels by around 35% and PM 10 by around 65% in a 500 square-metre zone.