NEW DELHI: Hours after deciding to go for emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to bring down levels of air pollution, the Commission on Air Quality Management on Wednesday scaled down its operational move after slight improvement in air quality and asked pollution control boards of NCR to rather ensure implementation of usual mitigation actions. These include control of road and construction dust, stopping stubble and biomass burning and compliance of NGT order on ban on sale and use of firecrackers.
Under GRAP’s emergency measures, the Commission on Tuesday night decided to enforce a ban on construction activities and stopping entry of trucks into Delhi. However, improvement in air quality due to weather factors since early Wednesday prompted the Commission to opt for relatively lighter mitigation actions on the ground.
The order was issued on Wednesday by CPCB on behalf of the Commission which entrusted it with the task of operationalising and monitoring the GRAP measures till a new mechanism is set up for the purpose.
Referring to its Tuesday’s decision, the Commission said there was a need to invoke GRAP, already notified by the central government, in view of deteriorating air quality in the NCR.
“However, a declining trend was observed since 12 hours of November 10 and PM 2.5 concentration is now below 300 microgram per cubic meter since 5 hours of November 11,” it said while noting how the key pollutants exceeded 300 microgram per cubic meter for more than 48 hours at 7 pm on Tuesday — a prerequisite to invoke GRAP emergency measures.
Under the Wednesday order, hot mix plants and stone crushers will remain closed in Delhi-NCR till November 17 and frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads and water sprinkling will be increased particularly on the road stretches with high dust generation potential.
“Punjab and Haryana must take immediate stringent actions to curb stubble-burning. Biomass burning in NCR towns must also be strictly checked,” said the order while asking state pollution control boards to ensure that guidelines for dust mitigation at construction sites are strictly adhered to.