AAP to give Rs 5,000 per month to construction workers affected by the ban

New Delhi: The AAP government in the capital city will be granting monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to construction workers affected by the construction ban. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal instructed labour minister Manish Sisodia to ensure the welfare of workers.

Construction activities are temporarily stopped in the city due to pollution. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas imposed the ban on October 30 after assessing the deteriorating air quality. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee decided to implement Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR.

Air quality parametres were a point of discussion at Saturday's emergency meeting of CAQM. The Commission said unfavourable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spikes in farm fire incidents are contributing to the decline in air quality. Winds are forecasted to be calm in the next few days and the wind direction is likely to change course frequently. There is also a chance of pollutants getting trapped in the region and not getting dispersed properly. The CAQM asked the residents of Delhi and the national capital region to corporate in implementing GRAP and follow the nine-point action plan mentioned in the Citizen Charter.

On Wednesday morning, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city is at 354 which is graded "very poor." Noida recorded an AQI of 406 which is in the "severe" category. Gurugram was at 346 (very poor), said the data by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) India.