Even as Gurugram’s air quality remains in the severe category, construction activity remained unabated along major corridors such as the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway, in open violation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 3 currently in effect across the NCR.
The Gurugram district administration has directed teams to enforce immediate stoppage of ongoing work and intensify inspections.
Deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar said on Tuesday that dedicated monitoring teams under sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) have been formed to keep a constant check on the sites.
“Teams have been instructed to visit locations regularly and stop construction immediately wherever violations are found. Meetings have been held with pollution control and enforcement officials to ensure full compliance,” Kumar said.
He added that the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has been told to ensure that all dust control and waste disposal measures are strictly followed.
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Despite the directions, construction continued at several sites in Sectors 74–76, Golf Course Extension Road, and along the Dwarka Expressway, with trucks, dumpers, and concrete mixers operating throughout the day with locals complaining of rising dust and worsening air.
“You can see mounds of debris and uncovered trucks moving all day. No water sprinkling or dust control is being done,” said Rohit Malik, a resident of Sector 68.
Adding to the problem, garbage burning continues unchecked in the Aravalli foothills and on vacant plots along major roads.
“Apart from the dust from construction, the real menace is waste burning by private contractors who dump garbage along roadsides and near the Aravallis,” said Vaishali Rana, an environmentalist based in Gurugram. “Every night, heaps of mixed waste — plastic, rubber, and debris — are set on fire. The smoke settles in low-lying areas and chokes the entire belt by morning,” she added.
Two city-based developers, requesting anonymity, said they had received the GRAP-III shutdown orders only on Tuesday morning, by which time labourers were already working at their sites along the Southern Peripheral Road and Dwarka Expressway.
“We have informed our contractors to stop all construction activity from Wednesday, but the timing is tough,” one developer said.
Another added that with the festive season and handover deadlines approaching, particularly for builder-floor projects slated for completion before the New Year, the sudden halt would cause “massive financial losses” and delay deliveries promised to buyers.
Residents say enforcement teams are visible only for a few hours in the morning but violations continue round the clock.
“Unless there is a sustained crackdown, GRAP will remain only on paper,” said Anita Yadav, a resident of Gwal Pahari.