Gurgaon: GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage 4 is in force across NCR but on the ground, enforcement appears missing.Authorities may claim crackdowns, but Gurgaon streets have turned into dust zones. “Dust is everywhere around us,” said Komal Yadav, a resident of Sushant Lok 1, referring to the strictest anti-pollution curbs that are active even as construction activity, road excavation and debris dumping were found continuing across multiple locations in the city.A TOI check on Monday across key stretches found roads being dug up and construction work continuing at IFFCO Chowk, Sector 28, Sector 23, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok 1 and Maruti Vihar.Stage 4 of GRAP — triggered during severe air episodes — is meant to clamp down hard on dust and emissions, including strict controls on construction and related activities. However, Gurgaon’s streets tell a different story, with residents saying there was little visible enforcement even as air quality remains stressed and the city struggles with dust and traffic churn. In Maruti Vihar, locals flagged active works and rubble dumping happening around, calling it a direct violation of the GRAP-4 restrictions. “If GRAP-4 is in action, how can construction work and dumping continue openly? There’s dust on the road and children and elderly people are walking through it,” said Manoj Vashisht, a resident.In several places, construction waste and loose soil were left on carriageways and road edges, with no visible dust-control measures such as proper covering, barricading or mechanical vacuum cleaning.At IFFCO Chowk, among the city’s busiest junctions, ongoing work left broken, uneven patches and exposed soil, with vehicles kicking up dust through the day. “This is one of the busiest crossings in Gurgaon and there’s dust flying all day because the road is broken and the soil is open. Everyone is breathing it,” said Ajay Singh, a commuter who passes through the junction daily.Similarly, in Sector 28 and Sushant Lok 1, stretches were found dug up, with construction material and waste piled along the roads, shrinking lanes and forcing motorists to drive over loose debris. “The lane has become narrow because construction material is on the roadside. Cars brush past the rubble and the dust just rises,” said Rahul Mehta, a resident of Sector 28.In Sushant Lok 1, residents said digging continued for days with little monitoring. “They dug up patches and left them open. There’s no covering, no water sprinkling, nothing,” said Komal Yadav.Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials said they long underlined that construction dust and re-suspended road dust are key pollution drivers in NCR winters, particularly when low wind speed and temperature inversion trap pollutants close to the ground. Activities like Road cutting and debris dumping in such severe conditions can sharply worsen local air quality, they warned.An HSPCB official said, “Civic agencies have been directed to take action against violations.”In Sector 23 and Palam Vihar, residents pointed to construction waste lying on internal roads and near intersections, describing the situation as “routine” through Jan. “Waste is lying near corners and intersections like it’s normal. Nobody comes to lift it for days,” said Panjak Kapur, a Sector 23 resident.In Palam Vihar, locals said they were forced to drive around debris heaps on residential roads. “Even internal roads are dusty now. Vehicles kick up dust because waste is dumped and not cleared,” he said.Shubham Khatana, a resident of Sushant Lok 1, said when GRAP is announced, it looks strict on paper. “On ground, nothing really changes. Dust continues, digging continues. If GRAP-4 is in place, why is digging continuing openly? There is no covering or clean-up,” said Khatana.
