Developers Protest Delhi's No-Construction Order During Air Quality Crisis. What It Means For Projects
Delhi's construction ban under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has given severe cause for concern in the minds of developers and the real estate sector. With the National Capital Region (NCR) going through serious air pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) placed a complete prohibition on all the construction activities after the Air Quality Index (AQI) had crossed 450 and reached the 'severe plus' level. As of November 18, Delhi's AQI had worsened to hazardous 485, which went up to 490 in the afternoon.
At once, this has led to work stoppages on housing, commercial, and infrastructure construction work all over the region. The developers fear that this may lead to considerable delays and extend timelines up to 2 or 3 months. Suspension of construction and demolition work reflects an impact on both developers and construction workers who depend upon such projects to earn their livelihood.
Construction Ban Impact on Builders and Homebuyers
All construction work related to roads and highways, flyovers, and pipelines-all stand suspended. The entry of all non-Delhi registered vehicles, especially diesel autos which haven't upgraded to BS-IV, have been prohibited. Offices are asked to function at 50% capacity, with as much remote working as possible, while schools and colleges in the area stand closed.
G Hari Babu, National President of NAREDCO, said measures such as GRAP are vital and cannot be at the whims and fancies of the sector, but with due consideration of the larger economic and social consequences that may invite. The construct Babu argued the construction projects, be it those approved under RERA, already have tough norms concerning pollution controls and should not be subjected to blanket banning without adequate compensation.
Seek a Case-by-Case Approach
"The very fact that a project is RERA-approved means it is compliant with the strict environment requirements and, therefore, should be allowed to continue without causing too much disruption. If such regulated projects are stopped, it could have unforeseen consequences, including putting the worker engaged in financial distress, accompanied by overruns in time, which entail penalties to developers," cautioned Kushagra Ansal, Managing Director of Ansal Housing.
Agitated Homebuyers Bemoan Delay
Homebuyers are also feeling the pressure, particularly those with investments in ongoing projects. Chetan Jaiswal, a homebuyer from Gurugram, expressed his frustration as delays in his project along Dwarka Expressway would now be further exacerbated by the construction halt.
A Balanced Approach Needed
As air quality continues to swing between 'severe' and 'severe plus' in Delhi, a balance is of the essence: environmental sustainability alongside the realities of practicality in urban development. Developers, the buying public, and workers also demand that the government focus on more targeted efforts by not damaging RERA-compliant projects while continuing their efforts to battle air pollution.
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