Delhi continues to witness ‘very poor’ air quality on Thursday morning with overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 362 at 6:33 AM, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor SAFAR. The national capital and NCR region, which has been plagued by serious air pollution for weeks, recorded its air quality in the very poor category on Wednesday morning and the IMD had predicted no major relief until Sunday.
The city air quality index had slipped into the severe zone on Tuesday and was recorded at 403 at 4 pm. V K Soni of the IMD on Tuesday told the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) that lower ventilation index due to low temperatures and calm wind conditions is predicted between Wednesday and Sunday, which is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants.
The air quality is likely to improve Sunday onwards due to relatively strong winds, he said. The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor SAFAR has said the intrusion of stubble burning-related pollutants into Delhi is not likely on Wednesday and Thursday as the transport level wind direction is easterly.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government is planning to implement the odd-even vehicular scheme to reduce pollution, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday, news agency ANI reported. The CM said the state government had also prepared a committee of engineers, Gurugram Municipal Corporation commissioners and DC to look for alternatives to reduce pollution. He added that according to the SC directions, some thermal plants were also being closed in Haryana.
Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the air pollution issue which was held on Wednesday, the CAQM late Tuesday night had directed that schools, colleges and educational institutions in the National Capital Region will remain closed until further orders, allowing only online mode of education.
It also said that only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi — NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa — will remain operational till November 30. The commission had directed Delhi and the NCR states to stop construction and demolition activities in the region till November 21, barring railway services/railway stations, metro rail corporation services, including stations, airports and inter-state bus terminals (ISBTS) and national security/defence-related activities/ projects of national importance subject to strict compliance of the C&D Waste Management Rules and dust control norms.
Meanwhile, trucks entering the national capital at the Delhi-Gurugram border were being checked by Delhi police following the ban ordered by Delhi government on all trucks (except those carrying essential commodities) till November 21, ANI reported.
Delhi-Gurugram border | Trucks entering the national capital were being checked by Delhi police following the ban ordered by Delhi govt on all trucks (except those carrying essential commodities) till Nov 21 in view of #airpollution pic.twitter.com/nIEIhDbpr9— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2021
The Supreme Court on Wednesday also directed the Centre and states to ensure implementation of the decisions taken in a meeting to curb air pollution, observing that it cannot get into the nitty gritty and the bureaucracy has developed a “sort of inertia" of not taking decisions which are left to the courts.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, which heard the case for over two hours, had said, Enough is enough. We cannot get into all the nitty gritty of the issue. You please take the steps to deal with the emergency situation.
The bench, which did not pass any directions, asked the Centre and the states to implement the measures, decided in the meeting, to curb the pollution.
With inputs from PTI.
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