New Delhi: After air quality dropped in Delhi to ‘poor’ on Wednesday, measures under ‘stage-1’ of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been enforced in the national capital region ‘to maintain the AQI in the moderate category.
An order has been issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which noted that there has been a sudden dip in air quality in the last 24 hours and has led the air quality index (AQI) to move to the “POOR” category. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’.
“While this is likely to be a localised influence and the forecasts do not predict any further deterioration, in an effort to maintain the AQI in the moderate category, as a precautionary measure, the sub-committee decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage I of the GRAP -‘Poor’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI ranging between 201-300), be implemented in right earnest by all the agencies concerned, with immediate effect in the NCR”, CAQM order further read.
Delhi’s 24-average air quality index stood at 211 at 4 pm on Wednesday, worsening from 150 at 4 pm on Tuesday. It stood at 248 in Ghaziabad, 196 in Faridabad, 234 in Greater Noida, 238 in Gurugram and 215 in Noida, PTI reported.
The GRAP – a set of emergency measures taken to reduce air pollution – includes penal and legal action against polluting industrial units.
The CAQM has put a ban on all construction activities and demolition activity carried over an area of 500 sqm. and above that are not registered on the web portals created by the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Aside from this, there is a ban on entry of trucks into Delhi. Other vehicular rules include keeping engines of vehicles properly tuned, turning off the engines at red lights, keeping PUC certificates up to date, and maintaining proper tyre pressure in vehicles.
The measures such as mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling on roads, enforcing guidelines on the use of anti-smog guns at construction sites, and enforcing the ban on open burning of waste have been enforced with immediate effect. The ban on firecrackers is also to be strictly enforced and DISCOMS are to minimise power supply disruptions.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) say that light rain and favourable wind direction and speed is expected over the next three to four day which will likely improve the air quality, PTI reported.