Construction ban to continue in NCR

Ban on hot-mix plants, ready-mix plants and stone-crushers will continue in view of the forecast that the air quality is set to deteriorate from November 19. Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Monday wrote to the chief secretaries of Delhi and NCR states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in this regard. The ban on construction and demolition activity will also continue as per the orders of the Supreme Court, it added. EPCA chief Bhure Lal said that there was a need to step up surveillance and enforcement against local sources of pollution and crop burning. The air in the region has finally improved after days of dense and highly hazardous smog. This is a result of high winds and good ventilation index. However, IMD has alerted us that the next few days--from November 19 to November 21 will have very little wind and ventilation. Dispersion of pollutants will not happen then, and there is a likelihood that we will slip back to the very poor category and even the severe category, read the letters, addressed to the chief secretaries.