With the regional Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the 400-mark, the Haryana administration has shifted into emergency mode. The implementation of GRAP-3 represents a significant escalation in the battle against the toxic winter smog that has blanketed the state.
-
Construction Freeze: All private and commercial construction projects—except for essential services like hospitals, railways, and metro—have been halted. Over 250 non-compliant sites have already been penalized by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) for violating dust-control norms.
-
The “Dust-Free” Offensive: Recognizing road dust as a primary pollutant, the Urban Local Bodies department has deployed 500 mechanical sweepers. These machines, along with anti-smog guns, are working in multiple shifts on the Rohtak-Delhi and Panipat-Delhi highways to suppress dust resuspension caused by heavy traffic.
-
Impact on Schooling: Following the CAQM directive, Deputy Commissioners in districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Jind have mandatorily shifted classes up to Grade 5 to a hybrid mode. This is intended to reduce children’s exposure to hazardous air during early morning hours.
-
Vehicular Restrictions: Strict monitoring is underway at the Delhi-Haryana borders (Sirhaul, Kundli, and Loni) to enforce the ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles. Transport department teams are conducting 24/7 checks, with violators facing hefty fines of up to ₹20,000.
Community Sentiment
“The smog is so thick you can taste the grit in the air. While the ban on construction is hard on workers, we can’t ignore the health emergency. Seeing the mechanical sweepers on the main roads is a start, but we need similar action in the narrow lanes of our sectors where dust accumulation is even higher,” said an environmental activist in Faridabad.
