Delhi air pollution: Environment Minister to chair meet to discuss restrictions
Premium- Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will hold a high-level meeting to discuss pollution-related curbs imposed in the city as air quality improves
With air quality in the national capital improving, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will be holding a high-level meeting today to review pollution-related restrictions imposed in the city.
On Monday, the minister held a similar meeting with senior government officials to chalk out plans to curb the air pollution.
Accordingly, he directed Delhi government employees to continue working from home till November 26. “Truck entries, except essential commodities, shall remain closed till November 26. We are planning to grant entry to CNG trucks," he said.
"Prevailing pollution in Delhi has now been decreasing, due to various measures taken against it and the change in wind speed. Keeping this in mind, the ban on demolition and construction has now been taken back, but strict monitoring will continue," he had said.
However, he conveyed a strong message over the relaxed pollution norms saying, "Any site caught violating the 14-point guidelines, for controlling pollution, will be shut without notice and imposed with penalty and strict proceedings. We have constituted 585 joint monitoring teams with DPCC, Revenue and MCDs."
Air quality improves in the city
The air quality significantly improved from the "very poor" to the "poor" category on Wednesday for the first time in the last 10 days, as per the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR). The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 280 today.
Several areas in the national capital including ITO, Lodhi Road, and Mathura Road recorded air quality in "very poor" air with an AQI of 333, 303, and 346 while the AQI at Anand Vihar and Jahangirpuri were in the "severe" category with an AQI 422 and 436 respectively.
Gurugram and Noida recorded AQI of 283 and 303 in the "poor" and "very poor" categories on Wednesday morning.
The air pollution level in the National Capital Region (NCR) fluctuated between "very poor" and "poor".
(With inputs from agencies)
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