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Air Pollution in Delhi: Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said on Friday that he has asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the environment minister for a meeting at Raj Niwas at 6 pm today to take stock of the situation rising air pollution level in the national capital.
He said, “The situation arising out of air pollution in the City is extremely worrying” and urged “people to remain indoors as much as possible and to not expose themselves- especially children and elderly to hazardous ambient conditions wherein AQI has reportedly crossed 800 at places”.
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In a series of posts on X, Saxena said he cancelled his “public engagements at Yogmaya Mandir and Urs of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya and requested the organisers to discourage large gatherings.”
Saxena’s statement came as Delhi’s air quality plummeted to the “severe plus” category on Friday morning. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) skyrocketed from 351 at 10 am on Thursday to 471 at 9 am on Friday.
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Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm each day, was 392 on Thursday, 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
This reflected a sudden increase in pollution levels due to highly unfavourable meteorological conditions and a sharp spike in stubble burning incidents in neighbouring states.
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The significant decline in the air quality prompted authorities to impose a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction in Delhi. These measures constitute the final stage of the Centre’s air pollution control plan.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, ordered a ban on non-essential construction work and specific categories of polluting vehicles on Thursday.
Under the final stage (Stage IV) of the Graded Response Action Plan, only CNG, electric, and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states are allowed to enter Delhi, with exemptions granted to those involved in essential services. All medium and heavy goods vehicles not engaged in essential services are also required to be banned in the capital.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Updated: 03 Nov 2023, 05:14 PM IST
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