‘CUT DOWN ON VEHICLES, CLOSE COAL AND BIOMASS INDUSTRIES’
NEW DELHI: Stringent measures, including minimisation of private vehicles and shutdown of coal and biomass industries, have been recommended between November 1 and 10 by the Central Pollution Control Board-led task force, to deal with the alarming increase of pollution in the national Capital.
The task force also advised public to avoid strenuous outdoor exercises to minimise exposure to toxic air, and cut down use of private cars during in the first 10 days of November.
Expecting a highly polluted Diwali, a pollution task force headed by the CPCB on Friday issued advisories to the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, suggesting closure of industries, construction and intensified traffic regulation between November 1 and 10.
On Saturday, Delhi’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ for the fourth consecutive day, with CPCB recording the overall
Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 341.
Meanwhile, eight areas in the Capital recorded ‘severe’ air quality, namely Anand Vihar, Dwarka Sector 8, Narela, Punjabi Bagh, Bawana, Mundaka, Vivek Vihar and Rohini. Punjabi Bagh recorded the worst AQI reading of 434.
The worst AQI this season was recorded on Friday at 361.
On Friday, during a meeting with representatives from the Union Environment Min-
istry, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Haryana State Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Friday, the CPCB-LED task force appraised the members of the air pollution levels in Delhi-ncr showing an upward trend.
Siddharth Singh, the representative from IMD, said Delhi’s air quality – which has deteriorated to ‘very poor’ level – would continue to remain the same condition for the next few days.
“At the beginning of November, the situation may worsen on account of localised emissions during festival and regional contribution due to stubble burning,” Singh was quoted as saying in the minutes of the meeting.
In view of this and considering previous years’ experience, the task force recommended certain additional measures as proactive steps to deal with the situation for consideration of Supreme Court-appointed EPCA.
The measures included halt of all construction activities, involving excavation, civil construction, stone crushers and hot mix plants in Delhi-ncr during November 1 to 10.
Coal and biomass-based Industries (excluding thermal and waste-to-energy Plants) would remain closed during these 10 days and efforts by the Delhi Transport Department to check polluting vehicles and control traffic congestion would be intensified. The task force also recommended efforts to provide uninterrupted power supply in NCR towns to avoid requirement of operating diesel generator sets.
Meanwhile, Union Environement Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday held a review meeting with 41 teams of the CPCB deployed in DelhiNCR, which found that the compliance rate of the agencies concerned in following the anti-pollution directives was “very poor”.