Revised GRAP in Delhi-NCR has brought construction activities to a stand-still

01 Dec 2022

Implementation of actions under stage III of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR has brought construction activities to a stand-still and impacted the ease of doing business and ease of living, said PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a press statement.

The construction sector has been facing a serious slowdown during the last two years and with the various reforms of the Government for the construction sector, the activity had expected to rejuvenate significantly. However, the stringent notification has impacted the construction sector activity once again, said the industry body.

MSME Sector industrial units and all industries operating in authorised industrial areas to the construction sector have been severely impacted by the implementation of the revised GRAP. The closure of industrial units by not allowing standby power can be a death blow for many, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry added. This has severely impacted the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers in construction activities.

PHD Chamber emphasised that Stubble (parali) burning from the last week of September to November has affected the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital and NCR, and the Government should look for alternate means to resolve this issue to avoid any hindrances to businesses. The appeasement policy of Governance in Punjab has reportedly increased stubble burning by more than 33 per cent.

The PHD Chamber has said that our country does not hold PNG infrastructure for industries, uninterrupted power supplies, lack of availability of technology in the market to convert existing DG sets to hybrid sets on a large scale basis, economically viable emission control devices or equipment, vendors who can provide certified solutions for hybrid generators with 70 per cent gas and 30 per cent diesel without affecting the guarantee and warranty of DG sets.

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