Delhi pollution highlights: Efforts made to mitigate poor air quality ‘woefully inadequate’, says HC

Delhi’s air quality improved slightly but remained ‘very poor’ on Thursday morning even as the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) lifted the ban on entry of trucks and construction works in the capital. The four-fold hike in parking fees was also lifted.

However, weather experts say the slight respite from toxic air would only last four to five days and Delhi may be set for another spike in pollution levels soon.

Later today, the NGT will hear the Delhi government’s review petition seeking implementation of the traffic rationing odd-even plan with exemptions for women and two wheelers.

Here are the live updates:

6.50pm: Delhi HC tells city government to consider applying to the Centre under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Act for release of additional funds.

6.45pm: DPCC says fines were levied on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which had also ordered that remaining 75% of the amounts collected be spent on mitigating air pollution in the city.

6.43pm: Delhi Pollution Control Committee tells HC fines amounting to Rs 50,000 have been levied for every violation of construction norms in the city and 25% of the amount collected was remitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for utilisation.

6.40pm: Delhi High Court questions Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on the number of prosecutions it has launched for violation of construction norms, the number of teams it has for inspection and whether any penalties was provided for under the Environment Protection Act.

6.35pm: Municipal corporations and Delhi government assure Delhi High Court that they sprinkled water on the roads as ordered by it to reduce dust generation.

6.30pm: Delhi High Court terms as “woefully inadequate” the efforts made by the Centre as well as the authorities in the national capital to mitigate the poor air quality.

4.50pm: Delhi High Court asks Centre and Delhi government’s senior bureaucrats to not discuss immediate measures such as spraying of water, but discuss long term measures such as cloud seeding.

3.42pm: Will consider on any change in the orders banning construction and industrial activities in Delhi tomorrow: NGT

3.40pm: Delhi govt tells NGT that levels of PM2.5 have come down after sprinkling of water.

2.50pm: Delhi high court allows half-marathon in Delhi to proceed as planned, after the organisers submitted that they have put in a refund policy for those runners who want to opt out and there are measures in place to deal with medical emergencies.

2.30pm: Install rainwater harvesting systems or face Rs 5 lakh fine, NGT tells schools and colleges in Delhi.

1pm: At 11 am on Thursday, Delhi’s AQI was 345, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category.

12.10pm: Hike in charges by municipal corporations has resulted in people resorting to roadside parking or using facilities at malls, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.

11.05am: “... Pollution may rise again because of increased moisture in the air in the coming days. However, if the conditions continue to improve and air quality stabilises, we will review the measures under the ‘severe’ category and inform you accordingly,” Bhure Lal wrote.

11am: EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal wrote to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in the morning, directing them that the measures be lifted with ‘immediate effect’ as the prevailing air quality does not warrant such tough action.

10.20am: Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) issues direction removing ban on entry of trucks, construction works in Delhi, fourfold hike in parking fees also withdrawn.

10.15am: Environment Pollution Control Authority issues direction removing ban on entry of trucks, construction works in Delhi, four-time hike in parking fees also withdrawn, ANI News reported.

9.35am: The MeT department has predicted ‘shallow fog’ for the day ahead. However, skies will remain clear for the next three days. There is no prediction of rains, the Met department said.

9.15am: The minimum temperature on Thursday morning was recorded at 15° Celsius. The maximum temperature is expected to be 28.2° Celsius.

9am: Weatherman said Delhi will witness ‘very poor’ air for some time now.

8.45am: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the Capital was recorded at 310 by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research at 8.30am.

8.20am: The Centre said on Wednesday it was advancing the rollout of Bharat Stage (BS)-VI fuels by two years to fight rising pollution in Delhi. BS-III and BS-IV cars and two-wheelers can run on BS-VI fuels. But any emission gains will only be marginal in a city whose pollution woes are often compared to a “gas chamber”.