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Noida, Gr Noida: Grap-4 breaches attract ₹1.27 crore in fines two days
According to officials, On Friday alone, penalties totalling ₹78.25 lakh were imposed on 32 companies and individuals for flouting Grap-4 restrictions. The action followed inspections by work-circle teams deployed across sectors, villages and industrial pockets of Greater Noida.
GREATER NOIDA: The construction activities ongoing across several sites in Noida and Greater Noida, despite the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap)-4 norms being enforced, has attracted penalties of ₹1.27 crore in the last two days, Greater Noida authority officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, On Friday alone, penalties totalling ₹78.25 lakh were imposed on 32 companies and individuals for flouting Grap-4 restrictions. The action followed inspections by work-circle teams deployed across sectors, villages and industrial pockets of Greater Noida.
Noida, meanwhile, continued to be the most polluted city in the country on Saturday, registering a “severe” air quality index (AQI) of 401, while Greater Noida saw a “very poor” AQI of 344.
Sumit Yadav, additional chief executive officer of Greater Noida Authority, said enforcement has been intensified in recent days as pollution levels remained failed to show sustained improvement. “Teams are carrying out continuous inspections in their respective areas. Wherever violations are found, penalties are being imposed as per norms,” Yadav said, adding that the drive would continue until compliance improves.
Notably, pollution control measures under Grap-4 mandate a near-complete halt on construction and demolition activities — barring essential projects — and require strict dust control measures, such as covering of construction material, mechanised cleaning of roads and regular water sprinkling.
Industrial units using unapproved fuels are also required to shut, while additional restrictions are imposed on vehicle movement to curb emissions. The measures are aimed at preventing further deterioration of air quality during peak winter pollution episodes.
During inspections on Friday, officials said, violations were detected in sectors 1, 4, 12 and 16, as well as in Techzone-4, Ecotech-10 and Ecotech-11, where construction activity was found continuing despite the ban. Mandatory dust control measures, such as covering material and water sprinkling, were also missing.
Industrial units and project sites in Ecotech-6 were also penalised, with fines ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹5 lakh depending on the nature and scale of violations.
Residential pockets were among the areas flagged during the inspections. Authorities imposed penalties in villages including Bhanauta, Chhapraula, Chipiyana Buzurg, Khodna Khurd, Sunpura and Tilpata Karanwas, where plot owners were found carrying out construction work in violation of Grap-4 norms.
Officials said violators have been directed to deposit the penalty amounts within the stipulated time and strictly comply with pollution control guidelines, warning that enforcement will continue as long as restrictions remain in force.
According to officials, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) chief executive officer NG Ravi Kumar has directed officials to ensure strict compliance with Grap-4 norms across areas within the authority’s jurisdiction. Under Kumar’s supervision, project department teams are monitoring sites on a daily basis, officials said.
