Developers allowed to carry non-polluting work during construction ban in NCR

Real estate developers in the National Capital Region ( NCR) will be allowed “non-polluting” work at construction sites during the winter spell of higher pollution, according to the fresh guidelines issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management.

This year, the authority has listed activities which will be banned, instead of imposing a blanket ban on construction activities if the air quality turns "severe" (stage III), said industry executives, This will allow developers to continue with some interior work, they said.

“In earlier orders, there used to be a list of activities that were allowed, leaving scope for misinterpretation. In this year’s order, there is a list of banned activities and restrictions. This will allow us to do at least 50% of the work, which will help us to keep the labour engaged,” said Harsh Vardhan Bansal, president of the Delhi chapter of the National Real Estate Development Council.

Air quality in northern India turns very poor with the onset of winter. As wind speed drops, air pollutants linger and the situation worsens with smoke from crop stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

“There are many non-polluting works in a real estate project that can be carried out without impacting the environment. We had given multiple representatives to the government and they have agreed on the majority of the demands. Developers can now plan those activities in advance,” said Nikhil Hawelia, joint secretary, Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India, NCR.

A ban of three days results in a delay of more than a month, and getting workers back to the site becomes a difficult task, said developers.

“Even though the ban is imposed for around 30-45 days, developers require additional time to remobilise the labour force in order to kick-start construction activities once the ban is lifted. In this context, the new guidelines are a welcome move,” said Mohit Jain, managing director, Krisumi Corporation.

Thanks to the new guidelines, developers can plan the non-polluting work during the pollution-affected months of October to December, ensuring minimal delay in the projects.

“This year’s guidelines are welcome as they will ensure that builders are able to undertake non-polluting activities and plan their schedule better, which in turn will ensure timely completion and be in the interest of daily wage labourers,” said Sanju Bhadana, managing director, 4S Developers.

The labourers are the first to be impacted by a ban on construction, according to developers, They come to Delhi-NCR from across the country and when they face unemployment due to frequent bans on construction, they return, causing delay in the delivery of apartments to homebuyers.

Developers said the Real Estate Regulatory Authority imposes heavy penalties on builders who are not able to provide possession of apartments within specified timelines, but with a ban under the Graded Response Action Plan, the scheduled and unscheduled bans on construction could lead to undefined delays, as remobilisation of labourers becomes a challenge.

Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers not operating on clean fuels, and mining and associated activities in NCR will also be banned under stage III.

Leading construction companies and developers in the country support their workforce with housing, food and financial security during the ban, said executives.