Delhi to halt construction from December 10 to January 20 to curb winter pollution

Construction activities across Delhi will be completely banned from December 10 to January 20 as part of the government's measures to tackle worsening air pollution during the winter months, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

Gupta said construction sites measuring more than 500 square metres would be closely monitored through the Delhi government's Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras, with authorities taking action against violations.

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

The chief minister said construction work had continued at some sites during the previous winter despite restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), with developers allegedly carrying out work behind covers to evade detection.

"Last time, even under GRAP, some construction continued behind covers," she said.

Gupta said the government would use real-time surveillance this year to prevent a repeat of such violations. Footage and data from construction sites will be monitored through the Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras, with alerts sent to the government's Control and Command Centre.

"Notices, warnings and fines will follow," Gupta said, urging citizens to "inform, tag, complain and stop them".

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

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Developed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the upgraded portal integrates GIS mapping, live 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom cameras, PM10 and PM2.5 sensors and AI-based analytics. It is designed to monitor construction sites measuring 500 square yards or more.

The system generates yellow, orange and red alerts based on pollution levels and allows authorities to digitally issue compliance certificates and enforcement notices when violations are detected.

The upgraded platform also provides district-wise dashboards, pollution trend analysis and hotspot mapping. Officials and project proponents can remotely monitor sites using live camera feeds, sensor readings and AI-generated analysis.

The construction ban is part of the Delhi government's wider effort to tighten enforcement ahead of the winter season, when the city's air quality typically deteriorates sharply.