Gurugram: Over the last two months, at least 452 challans were issued and fines were imposed on real estate companies, hotels, restaurants and other entities found violating the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) regulations, officials said. The violations primarily included unauthorised burning of waste material, contributing to worsening air quality.
MCG officials said that their teams have been conducting rigorous inspections across various sectors to ensure compliance with Grap , particularly as pollution levels in the city remain high. “Our teams have identified and penalised several private firms for openly burning waste, a major contributor to air pollution,” said an MCG spokesperson.
Local residents have voiced their support for these measures, expressing concern over the ongoing air quality crisis. “It’s a relief to see authorities taking action. The smoke from burning waste is unbearable and harms everyone, especially children and the elderly,” said Ramesh Yadav, a resident of Sector 47. “We need strict enforcement to make sure businesses don’t ignore these pollution control regulations.”
Another resident, Meena Sharma from DLF Phase 4, said, “The fines are essential. For too long, companies have operated without any regard for public health. If we want clean air, these actions are mandatory.”
Officials have reiterated their commitment to enforcing Grap and warned that further violations could lead to higher penalties and in severe cases, criminal charges. They encouraged citizens to report any instances of waste burning, underscoring the collective responsibility in keeping Gurugram’s environment healthy.
{{/usCountry}}Officials have reiterated their commitment to enforcing Grap and warned that further violations could lead to higher penalties and in severe cases, criminal charges. They encouraged citizens to report any instances of waste burning, underscoring the collective responsibility in keeping Gurugram’s environment healthy.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Gurugram on Friday remained in ‘poor’ (271) category.
Vijay Chaudhary, Haryana state pollution control board regional officer, Gurugram south, said that the AQI of the city has been continuously in poor category due to local reasons.
“Pollution caused from vehicular movement, dust rising from unpaved and damaged roads, clandestine construction work followed by burning of garbage are the top three reason for air pollution at present,” he said.
Chaudhary said that the effect of stubble burning is presently not a factor for air pollution and haze in the city. “In Manesar, the AQI is hovering between 100 to 150 while in the city area, it’s between 250 to 300,” he said.
“MCG and GMDA need to pull up their socks and carry out all measures to plug the causes of air pollution which include intensive mechanical sweeping of main and internal roads, daily collection and removal of dust, repair and pave the broken patches or stretches of city roads,” he added.
Pollution board officials said intensive sprinkling of water must be carried out and smog guns must be used on a large scale. They said that the air quality of Gurugram will continue to remain poor until the direction of the wind changes.