Constructions halted in Gurugram for 2 days as air quality deteriorates
ON THURSDAY, AIR QUALITY INDEX FOR GURUGRAM WAS 485, AS 308 ON WEDNESDAY
GURUGRAM: The air quality in Gurugram deteriorated on Thursday, prompting the district administration to prohibit all construction activity in the city till Saturday.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) advised the deputy commissioners of 14 NCR districts in Haryana to tackle rising pollution by adopting measures such as waste incineration, sprinkling water to help particulate matter settle, identifying roads where excessive dust is being kicked up, increasing mechanised cleaning of roads and clamping down on the preparation of concrete and tar for the next 48 hours. “The district administration will ensure the compliance of these guidelines,” Vinay Pratap Singh, deputy commissioner, Gurugram, said in a text message to HT.
He said the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), department of town and country planning department and the district pollution control board will have to follow the guidelines. He advised residents to ensure that no construction work is carried out in the next two days.
On Thursday, the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality index (AQI) for Gurugram was 485, which worsened from 308 on Wednesday.
The level of PM2.5, however, slightly dipped to 483.33ug/mg3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air) from Wednesday’s 572.93ug/ mg3, which was the highest daily reading of 2018.
PM2.5 continues to be the primary air pollutant in Gurugram, according to the CPCB. This is due to strong, dust raising winds blowing towards the NCR from Rajasthan, officials said.
Singh said the CPCB’s Graded Response Action Plan ) will be implemented if the level of pollutants remains more than severe for 48 hours. In a meeting between Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and HSPCB officials on Thursday in Faridabad, Dr PK MK Das, the HSPCB’s regional officer for Faridabad, said, “The meeting was originally convened to discuss the problem of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions in Faridabad district.”