9 realtors in Gurugram penalised ₹1.6 crore for violating Grap norms

Officials said many of the under construction projects had excavation and marble setting works ongoing when vigilance squads of the HSPCB’s regional office in Gurugram conducted inspections.

At least nine real-estate developers in Gurugram have been penalised since the invocation of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap)-3 on November 11 in the district for violating the pollution control norms by allegedly conducting unauthorised construction at commercial and residential projects, officials at Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) said on Friday.

Officials said a team inspecting the DLF’s downtown project on Saturday last week found it to be a major source of “dust and emissions”.

Officials said many of the under construction projects had excavation and marble setting works ongoing when vigilance squads of the HSPCB’s regional office in Gurugram conducted inspections.

According to HSPCB officials, a total penalty of ₹1.6 crores was imposed on nine realtors who were found violating the Grap norms. “Our three patrolling teams have been conducting round-the-clock inspections across the city. Out of nine, three commercial projects have been sealed in the past one week, including one in DLF downtown area, and another 3.35-acre site on Hamilton Court Road near Galleria Market in Sector 27, belonging to Rajdarbar Iconic Ventures,” a senior HSPCB official said, requesting anonymity.

Dhirender Singh, director of Rajdarbar Iconic Ventures, stated that if any irregularities are identified by the authorities, the firm will fully comply with the requirements and take corrective action accordingly.

Officials said a team inspecting the DLF’s downtown project on Saturday last week found it to be a major source of “dust and emissions”. “The corporation’s earlier project in Gurugram South was also found to be violating the pollution control norms. A project belonging to another realtor near Dwarka Expressway had unauthorised construction ongoing earlier this week and a penalty of ₹25 lakh was imposed on them,” another senior HSPCB official said.

Meanwhile, the CAQM flying squad on Wednesday had earlier found another commercial project in Sector 27 emanating dust due to construction activities from the site, and through uncovered construction material, and non-compliant diesel generator sets. “Followed by the vigilance team’s action, six shops adding to pollution were sealed from the site. The electricity supplies to all the facilities were shut and they were sealed,” the HSPCB official added.

Notably, penalties against many of the sites are in the process of being estimated through CAQM’s standard schedule for environmental compensation (EC) based on AQI at the time of violation in the area, the scale and size of the project and compliance of the projects on the HSPCB’s control portal. Officials added notices are being issued to real-estate firms found conducting the environmentally hazardous activities despite the Grap-4 restrictions in the district.

A senior DLF official, who is involved in the project, said their workers were transporting the construction material when the HSPCB teams visited their site on Saturday in Downtown. “The site had remained shut since the invocation of Grap norms, however, some workers were putting the covering on building material at the time of inspection,” the senior DLF official added.