Pollution

New Delhi struggled with its worst air pollution for two decades, shrouded in smoke from millions of fireworks lit during the festival, burning of paddy stalks in neighbouring states before sowing the winter crop, vehicle exhaust and construction dust. The level of PM2.5, a fine dust that causes and exacerbates respiratory diseases, was 16 times more than national standard and 40 times higher than the World Health Organization-prescribed grade in a 24-hour cycle. Among the mega cities inhabited by at least 14 million people, New Delhi has the worst air quality, according to the latest WHO report.

A Sc-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) placed the graded response action plan in the city struggling to clean up its air. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has split the graded response plan into “moderate to poor” with an average PM2.5 level from 60 to 120, and “very poor” in which PM2.5 goes up to 250. Levels between 250 and 300 are “severe” and anything above that becomes “severe-plus” or “emergency”.

The emergency measures include an odd-even car rationing system and a ban on construction activities. These steps will automatically kick in whenever the city records PM 2.5 levels upward of 300 and PM10 above 500 for two consecutive days. The Delhi government will have to apply the odd-even formula within 48 hours of pollution levels hitting the “severe-plus” mark in the city and rest of NCR.

Parking charges will be hiked three to four times, diesel generator sets will be banned and alerts will have to be sent out to people during the “very poor” stage. Brick kilns and industries will not function when the air quality touches “severe”. The overall air quality index for New Delhi was 283 on Sunday, which falls in the “poor” category. But seven stations across the city showed “very poor” pollution levels.