Delhi to halt construction from 10 Dec to 20 Jan as winter pollution measures intensify

The Delhi government will impose a complete ban on construction activities across the national capital from December 10 to January 20 as part of a stepped-up effort to tackle worsening air pollution during the winter months, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday.

Gupta said the government would intensify surveillance of construction and demolition sites and take strict action against violations. She also urged residents to report any construction work continuing during the ban.

“Construction will be completely banned from 10 December to 20 January. If you spot any violation, inform MCD, your MLA, or me directly,” Gupta said in a post on X.

The government plans to monitor construction sites covering more than 500 square metres in real time through the Delhi government’s Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras. Gupta said the move was aimed at preventing a repeat of violations witnessed last winter, when some construction operators allegedly continued work despite restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

According to the chief minister, some sites had attempted to conceal ongoing work behind protective covers. This year, live camera feeds and automated monitoring will be used to identify such violations, with alerts sent to the government’s Control and Command Centre.

Officials will issue notices and warnings and impose fines where violations are detected. Gupta appealed to citizens to “inform, tag, complain and stop them”.

The Opposition, however, has questioned the government's approach, arguing that a blanket construction ban must be backed by effective enforcement and a wider strategy to tackle Delhi’s pollution.

Opposition leaders have also raised questions over whether the government can ensure compliance across thousands of construction and demolition sites, particularly given the violations reported during the previous winter. They have called for greater transparency over enforcement action and urged the government to address other major sources of pollution instead of relying primarily on restrictions on construction activity.

The criticism comes as Delhi prepares for another winter pollution season, when stagnant atmospheric conditions can trap pollutants over the capital and cause air quality to deteriorate sharply.

The Delhi government launched AI-powered Dust Portal 2.0 in July to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of dust-control measures at construction and demolition sites.

Developed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the upgraded platform uses GIS mapping, live 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom cameras, PM10 and PM2.5 sensors and AI-based analytics to track compliance.

The system generates yellow, orange and red alerts based on pollution levels and can facilitate the digital issuance of compliance certificates, notices and other enforcement measures.

District-level dashboards allow officials to track pollution trends and identify hotspots, while live camera feeds and sensor data enable remote monitoring of construction sites.

The construction ban is part of the Delhi government's broader winter pollution-control strategy. By combining a blanket prohibition with real-time surveillance, automated alerts and penalties, the government says it aims to prevent violations and strengthen enforcement of dust-control norms.

The effectiveness of the measure, however, will depend on how consistently the ban is enforced and whether the government can demonstrate that action is taken against violators across the capital.

With PTI inputs