Ban on construction to continue till further orders in Delhi: Gopal Rai

On Monday, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai told the media that the ban on development and demolition activities in Delhi will continue till further orders because of the high air pollution levels. The restriction on the entry of trucks, barring those involved in required services, will continue till December 7, while CNG and electric trucks will be permitted to enter Delhi, Rai told the media after a review meeting with authorities of departments involved. Experts have said that low temperature and low wind speed have led to stagnant conditions and that Delhi's air quality is expected to remain very poor in the next few days. The condition can improve if it rains, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department. Regarding the situation, they have decided to extend the ban on development and demolition activities in Delhi till further orders. Non-polluting development activities like plumbing work, interior decoration, electrical work and carpentry are permitted. Rai said that the government's 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign to control vehicular pollution is being stretched till December 18. The Delhi government had re-imposed the limitation on development and demolition activities following the Supreme Court order in this regard. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had told the media that the workers impacted by the ban on construction activities in the national capital would be rendered a financial aid of Rs 5,000 each, and his government would additionally compensate them for the loss of minimum wages. Image Source