No construction activities in Delhi from December 10 to January 20 to curb pollution

NEW DELHI: Construction activities will be completely banned in the city from December 10 to January 20 as part of the government's measures to curb air pollution during the winter, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta remarked on Friday.

Key points

• The AI-powered Dust Portal 2.0 was introduced in July to improve enforcement of pollution control measures.
• Construction will be completely banned from 10 December to 20 January.
• This year, such sites will be monitored in real time through the Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras, with alerts being sent to the government's control centre, she remarked.

What happened

Gupta, in a post on X, pressed citizens to report violations, adding that construction sites spanning more than 500 square metres would be monitored through the government's Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras. "Construction will be completely banned from 10 December to 20 January. If you spot any violation, inform the MCD, MLAs, or me, " she remarked.

Construction activities had continued at some sites during the previous winter despite the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan, she remarked, with work being carried out behind covers. This year, such sites will be monitored in real time through the Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras, with alerts being sent to the government's control centre, she remarked. "Notices, warnings and fines will follow, " Gupta remarked.

Meanwhile, the AI-powered Dust Portal 2.0 was introduced in July to improve enforcement of pollution control measures. The portal, developed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, integrates GIS mapping, live 360-degree PTZ cameras, PM10 and PM2.5 sensors and AI-based analytics to monitor compliance at construction sites. The system generates yellow, orange and red alerts based on pollution levels and facilitates digital compliance certificates and enforcement notices in case of violations.

The bottom line

For now, no construction activities in Delhi from December 10 to January 20 to remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.