GRAP-IV seems to have become a magic wand— an “Aladdin ka Chirag”— that magically controls pollution, at least on paper.in Gurugram .

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana- Pawan Kumar Bansal

By our enlightened reader Rakesh Gupta.GRAP-IV seems to have become a magic wand — an “Aladdin ka Chirag” — that magically controls pollution, at least on paper.in Gurugram .

But step outside and look around.

Have you actually seen major construction activity being stopped?
Have mining operations really shut down?
Have large infrastructure projects paused even for a day?

The uncomfortable truth is: they haven’t.

A builder once candidly admitted:

> “The penalty for violation is ₹19 lakh, but stopping work costs us crores per day. Paying the fine is simply more economical.”

That one statement exposes the hollowness of GRAP-IV enforcement.

On ground reality:

Large construction sites continue almost uninterrupted. Factories emitting pollutant goes unchecked.

Mining and earthwork operations run as usual

Uncovered trucks carrying sand and soil are openly visible on the Expressway and other arterial roads

Dust mitigation measures exist more in PowerPoint presentations than on site

So who does GRAP-IV really apply to?

1. The common citizen.
2. Private vehicles get banned.
3. BS-IV cars are penalised.
4. Daily wage workers suffer.
5. Schools close, livelihoods pause.

Meanwhile, big violators quietly factor penalties as a “cost of doing business.”

This is not environmental governance — this is selective enforcement.

The problem is not the absence of laws.
The problem is:

1. Weak bureaucratic will
2. Cosmetic compliance
3. Penalties that are insignificant for large players

A governance mindset that prefers easy targets over effective action

Until violations hurt economically and operationally, nothing will change.

Fines must be proportionate to project size or the size of Organization, work stoppage must be real, not optional.

Otherwise, GRAP will remain what it is today —
a tool of inconvenience for the common man and a joke for large polluters.

Pollution doesn’t differentiate between a luxury SUV and a dumper truck. Governance shouldn’t either.

My Opinion…🙏