L&T fined Rs 5 lakh for violating ban on construction work: Delhi minister Gopal Rai

File image of Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai (ANI photo)

The Delhi government on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on construction agency Larsen & Toubro Ltd for violating the ban on construction and demolition work imposed in view of worsening air quality in the city, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.

Officials said the minister noticed construction work at the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg while he was returning after inspecting a construction site of the  Unique Identification Authority of India.

"The workers said the work concerned the BJP's national headquarters. We are yet to confirm it. It is a complete violation of CAQM's orders. We have imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the construction agency L&T," Rai told reporters.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)-- a statutory body formed in 2021 to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR -- had on Saturday directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects, and other curbs under stage three of the Graded Response Action plan (GRAP).

GRAP, first implemented in 2017, is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the national capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.