Chief secy orders hourly checking of 13 bad air hubs

NEWDELHI: Wazirpur was the most polluted area in the national capital Monday, when the overall air quality of Delhi was in the ‘severe’ zone. While pollution levels continue to spike alarmingly at hot spots, Delhi chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev Monday directed zonal heads in each of the three municipal corporations to directly monitor the 13 hot spots on an “hourly” basis and take additional measures to improve air quality.

Wazirpur in northwest Delhi is one of the major pollution hot spots identified by the Delhi government earlier this year.

“All 13 hot spots shall be monitored by the deputy commissioners of municipal corporations on an hourly basis. Officers must take additional measures to mitigate high pollution levels in these areas,” Dev said during an emergency meeting to review steps to control air pollution.

The levels of PM 2.5, as recorded at the Wazirpur monitoring station, were 15 times the safe limit. As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, at 5am Monday, the PM 2.5 level there was 940µg/m³. According to Indian parameters, the safe limit of for PM 2.5 is 60µg/m³.

This was followed by Ashok Vihar and Anand Vihar, which recorded 922µg/m³ and 911µg/m³, respectively, at 5pm Monday.

The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI), as per CPCB’S 4pm bulletin on Monday, was 407. The AQI was 494 on Sunday; the worst since November 6, 2016, when it had touched 497.

The chief secretary also directed that immediate action be taken on complaints received on the CPCB portal. “The pendency of complaints needs to be brought down to zero. The locations pointed out in the press shall also be inspected at the earliest by the 300 officials deployed on the ground,” a statement issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said.

He also said steps need to be taken to ensure smooth movement of traffic at 28 congested corridors in the city to reduce vehicular pollution caused by piling up of vehicles. A massive drive to impound polluting vehicles will be carried out in the coming days. Also, marshals will be deployed at major traffic intersections to clear jams.

HOT MIX BAN EXTENDED The Sc-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority extended the ban on hot mix plants and stone crushers till November 8. Coalbased industries in the NCR and Delhi-based industries running on fuel other than Pine Natural Gas, have also been ordered to also remain shut till then.