Delhi air improves to 'very poor'; non-CNG vehicles may be banned

Delhi's air quality was 'severe' on Monday as the pollution level increased due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Delhi's air quality continued to suffer as SAFAR recorded the capital's air quality index at a 'very poor' 397 on Tuesday morning.

CPCB recorded the same as 402 and 'severe'.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Delhi's air quality turned 'severe' Monday as the pollution level increased due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, even as the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA directed authorities to allow construction only during the daytime and not charge toll from heavy vehicles stationed at Delhi border.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) Monday warned that if the air quality in Delhi continues to deteriorate then it would impose a complete ban on the use of non-CNG private as well as commercial vehicles.

The Supreme-Court appointed EPCA also allowed entry of only those vehicles into the city which are stranded at Delhi borders, anticipating the situation getting out of hand with the owners of over a 1,000 trucks getting "restive", while asserting that they will be exempt from paying toll or Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) from 11 pm on November 12 to 7 am on November 13.

They said by relaxing the payment of toll-ECC, the trucks can move without any stop and this will reduce congestion and reduce pollution.

The EPCA, however, stated that "no new trucks" will be allowed to enter the national capital in the wake of the deteriorating air quality.

He also permitted construction activities only during the daytime from 6 AM to 6 PM due to poor dispersion of pollutants at night.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain called a meeting with authorities and asked them to control local sources of pollution.

Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) Chairman Bhure Lal, in a letter to the chief secretary of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh said the vehicle sticker has not been implemented and without this it was not possible to distinguish between diesel and other fuelled vehicles.

"In the scenario that the weather remains adverse and that the current situation of air quality remains in 'very poor' or 'severe category' then there is no option but to direct for a complete stop on the use of private and commercial vehicles other than those plying on CNG so that pollution can be contained," Lal said in the letter.

Business Standard

Delhi's air quality suddenly improves yet renders pollution masks useless

The overall air quality index (AQI) on Monday was registered in the severe category at 397 against 434 a day earlier.

With Diwali just a day away, Delhi's air plummeted to "hazardous levels" but bounced back to "very poor" category on Tuesday, leaving people gasping for fresh air with some wearing pollution masks to reduce the ill effect of bad air quality.

Meanwhile, air purifiers have been installed at the ITO crossing in Delhi in view of rising pollution levels in the air.

As a thick blanket of haze engulfed the national capital on Monday, experts warned that the air quality is likely to worsen further due to local factors during the festival while doctors said the impact of air pollution on public health can be compared to smoking 15-20 cigarettes a day.

The overall air quality index (AQI) on Monday was registered in the severe category at 397 against 434 a day earlier.

The PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM10 concentrations touched 246 and 372 respectively, both in the very poor category, according to SAFAR data.

on Monday, the PM10 concentration in several parts of Delhi recorded 'severe plus emergency' levels, around 10 times the permissible limit.

The improvement was seen in NCR too as Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon recorded "poor" pollution levels, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

According to a warning issued by the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the national capital's air quality is expected to deteriorate to 'severe plus emergency' category after Diwali and it will be "bad" on November 8 even if "partial toxic crackers" are burned compared to last year.

Business Standard

Delhi air pollution: Know govt's emergency plan to avoid smog filled winter

Authorities have predicted further deterioration of air quality in the coming days.

Delhi Air Pollution : Last winter, the Delhi-NCR suffered one of the worst bouts of pollution. The entire region was in the grip of haze and smog. Now, the dreadful pollution is back to the national capital and its nearby states. Meanwhile, recent satellite images from the NASA showed that farmers in Punjab and Haryana have started burning crop residue earlier this month.

On Sunday, the air quality in Delhi remained poor, as the overall air quality index (AQI) recorded at 10 am Sunday stood at 208 which falls in the poor category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The PM10 level (presence of particles with diameter less than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 183 and the PM2.5 level was recorded at 93, according to the data.

Authorities have predicted further deterioration of air quality in the coming days.

An emergency action plan has been implemented from Monday to combat air pollution that has begun to show a trend towards poor category. (Business Standard )

ALSO READ: Delhi air pollution: Emergency plan to kick in from Monday

Here are the emergency measures that will be taken under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

1. Air Quality in moderate poor category

If the air quality lies in moderate to poor category- measures like stopping garbage burning in landfills and other places, and enforcing all pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries would be implemented.

2. Air Quality in poor category

If the air quality falls in the very poor category, additional measures of stopping use of diesel generator sets, enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented.

3. Air Quality in severe zone

If the air quality falls in the severe category, additional measures would be implemented of increasing frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads, sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretches with high dust generation.

4. Air Quality in severe plus

If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of task force to take the decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented.

Meanwhile, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has asked the state-run NBCC, which is building a world-class convention-cum-exhibition centre at the site of the Pragati Maidan.... Read More