New Delhi: As Delhi-NCR’s air quality deteriorates, the Central Pollution Control Board has advised residents not to step out for jogs or run and avoid using private transport in the first 10 days of November.
Emergency measures to check pollution will come into force from today in Delhi-NCR with the state pollution control bodies being directed to initiate criminal prosecution against violators.
Beginning 1 November, Delhi Pollution Control Committee has enforced a ban on all construction in Delhi and the National Capital Region as air quality deteriorates due to stubble burning in neighbouring states and festival season. The ban will be in force till 10 November.
The order includes a ban excavation, civil construction in Delhi and other NCR districts and closure of all stone crushers, hot mix plants generating dust pollution in Delhi and NCR districts.
In a first, open-air purifiers with biotech filters were installed in the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, near Parliament House in Delhi, for cleaning polluted air.
The capital’s air quality slipped into ‘severe’ category on Tuesday and witnessed a marginal dip in pollution level due to increased wind speed on Wednesday. However, it continued to remain under ‘Very Poor’ category at several places.
The Delhi government has said that it is fully prepared to implement the odd-even scheme to regulate private vehicles when needed.
Delhi Metro has pressed an additional 21 trains into service in view of air pollution. Noting that private vehicles contribute to 40 per cent pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) urged citizens to reduce the use of private vehicles and completely stop plying diesel vehicles during this period. There are a total of 35 lakh private vehicles in the Delhi NCR region.
“The Delhi government is fully prepared to take measures as per Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including the odd-even scheme are concerned. We will take them when needed,” Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said.
In the odd-even scheme, vehicles having odd and even numbers are allowed to ply on alternate days. The GRAP is an emergency plan implemented in phases to combat pollution depending upon the air quality of the city. It came into effect from 15 October.