Delhi pollution Live Updates: Arvind Kejriwal meets Haryana CM, says will take possible steps to tackle situation

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar seeing off his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar at his camp office to discuss issues related to air pollution. The Delhi chief minister had on Tuesday, in a tweet, also requested Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh for a meeting. The latter, however, refused saying he ‘did not have the same luxury of time’.

The Delhi-National Capital Region, which had been enveloped in a blanket of smog for almost a week, witnessed a decrease in pollution levels on Tuesday. The air quality index, which had shot up to 486 last week, dropped to 308 on Tuesday – the lowest so far this month.

The smog conditions, expected to improve further today, continued to affect train movement. Around 26 trains arriving in Delhi are running late, ANI reported.

Delhi pollution Live Updates: 

4.15 pm: Government has decided to prepone introduction of BS-VI grade fuel in Delhi from April 1, 2018 instead of April 1, 2020 as a sincere effort to curb vehicular pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: Reports ANI

3.47 pm: Delhi’s Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in a letter to L-G wrote that ‘the decision to hike parking charges is not fulfilling the desired objective. Even the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi government to immediately reconsider the decision’ reports PTI.

3.43 pm: Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) implemented in view of severe air pollution levels in Delhi, L-G had directed the municipal corporations, Delhi Metro and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to effect a four- fold hike in parking charges at their facilities, reports PTI.

3.38 pm: The Delhi govt has urged the Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal to “reconsider” the hike in parking charges calling the move counterproductive, reports PTI.

3.31 pm: During discussions we agreed that the serious risks to which such episodes of smog expose one and all require concrete and quick action on a number of fronts, the joint statement said.

3.25 pm: We agreed upon the need for action on many measures aimed at preventing its re-occurance in the winter of 2018, as per the joint statement released by Delhi CM and Haryana CM.

3.15 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar issue a joint statment of their meeting today.

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Joint statement by Delhi CM and Haryana CM.

2:35 pm: Arvind Kejriwal was quoted by ANI as saying: “We had a very positive discussion, we will take all steps possible to tackle the situation.”

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar seeing off his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

2: 23 pm: Addressing the media after concluding the meeting with Haryana CM, Arvind Kejriwal said that both the leaders had a positive discussion and assured that all possible steps will be taken to tackle the situation.

1:55 pm: The graph below comparing the level of air pollution in Delhi and Beijing.

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Charts showing daily PM 2.5 levels in Delhi and Beijing. (Source: Reuters)

1:45 pm: As per a report in ANI, the meeting between Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has begun. Both the leaders and their respective panels will be discussing the issue of rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR region.

Chandigarh: Meeting underway between Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar pic.twitter.com/TIhPAhgHsi

— ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2017

1:35 pm: In a bid to curb rising air pollution in the city, Delhi government plans to buy electric buses using 787 crore from environment cess.

1:05 pm: The Delhi traffic police on Wednesday highlighted the fact that pollutants remained above the normal standards in most part of the city.

pic.twitter.com/JFCcHJd0ib

— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 15, 2017

12:45 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal discussing the hazardous effects of air pollution with Haryana CM.

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar welcoming Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at his camp office in Chandigarh. (Express Photo)

12:30 pm: With winters arriving and low visibility being reported from almost every corner of the capital, the Delhi traffic police on Twitter has posted a traffic advisory and urged the motorists to be cautious and drive/ride safely.

pic.twitter.com/AbgAviI7GD

— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 15, 2017

11:55 am: The Delhi government on Tuesday filed a fresh petition before the green court and sought for the implementation of the odd-even scheme in neighbouring states. Read more| Delhi has a new idea: Apply odd-even to neighbours 

11:40 am: A graph representing the variations in AQI index in Delhi for the month of November.

11:35 am: The pollution stats given by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) says that PM 10 levels for the day is 329 and it falls in the ‘poor’ category and PM 2.5 levels is 213 which falls under the ‘very poor’ category.

11:25 am: AAP leader Kapil Mishra on Twitter said that as the CM left the city, Delhi is greeted by a clearer and smog free sky.

With CM leaving the city, Delhi gets a clearer smog free sky suddenly today :) #COINCIDENCE

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) November 15, 2017

11:15 am: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier today tweeted that he along with the environment minister will go to Haryana and discuss the issues related to pollution with the state chief minister and his team.

Myself, Del Env Minister n Env Secy on our way to Haryana to discuss issues related to pollution with Hon’ble CM of Haryana and his team. Look forward to a fruitful discussion

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 15, 2017

11:00 am: Even after the air quality index in Delhi dropped to 308 on Tuesday, the EPCA plans to continue with emergency measures such as ban on trucks.

10: 45 am: As per the Met department, the minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 13.2 degree Celsius, with humidity level being 91 per cent at 8:30 am. Visibility which has been the main concern due to smoggy conditions prevailing in the city for past one week, was 1500 meters at 5:30 am and it eventually dropped to 1000 meters at 8:30 am.

10: 20 am: Residents of the capital on Tuesday experienced a better air quality with the pollution index dropping to 308 on Tuesday.

Delhi pollution Live Updates: A schoolgirl participates in a demonstration to demand clean air in New Delhi. (Source: AP)

9:50 am: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal leaves for Chandigarh, will be meeting Haryana CM ML Khattar

Delhi pollution Live Updates: Arvind Kejriwal leaves for Chandigarh

9:30 am: 26 trains arriving to Delhi are running late whereas 9 are rescheduled. Around 7 trains have been cancelled due to weather or operational reasons, news agency ANI reported.