Air quality

the blood stream – was the primary pollutant in most cases.

The CPCB has also said air quality is likely to improve on Tuesday, owing to wind speeds that can clear the toxic haze.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Monday kick-started the 11-day road-rationing scheme -popularly called the ‘odd even’ drive -- as part of efforts to check the rising air pollution, with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal carpooling with his cabinet ministers to work earlier in the day.

The drive kicked in on the day the Supreme Court panned the central and Delhi government machinery for passing the buck and not doing enough to take steps in time. “Delhi is choking every year and we are unable to do anything,” a bench of the Supreme Court said.

The top court also asked the Delhi government about the “logic” behind the odd-even scheme and ordered it to produce data to prove that the road rationing plan reduces pollution.

The Delhi government had on Friday declared a public health emergency, closed schools and banned all construction activities to deal with the pollution.

Under the third road rationing measures in Delhi since 2016, private cars with odd-numbered registration plates will be allowed to run on odd dates from 8am to 8pm, barring Sundays. Those with even-numbered plates can ply on even dates.

The drive exempts two-wheelers and cars driven by women or carrying only women, schoolchildren and electric vehicles. All private petrol, diesel, and CNG cars in Delhi and the ones entering the city with registration numbers of other states will have to follow the rules. Any violation of the scheme will lead to a fine of ~4,000.

The drive will continue until November 15, the period that is vulnerable to pollution spikes since this is the time when farm fires in Punjab and Haryana peak. The resulting smoke settles over the National Capital Region and adjoining regions. Farmers often burn stubble left behind after the harvest as a quick and cheap way of clearing their fields for the next round of sowing.

According to the Union environment ministry’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), satellites captured over 3,000 incidents of farm fires last week in Punjab and Haryana. They contributed 46% of Delhi’s pollution on Friday last, the season’s highest.

Responding to the Centre telling the top court that chief secretaries had been told to stop stubble burning, the judges signalled that the bench would see what concrete steps can be taken to stop burning of paddy stubble in states such as Punjab and Haryana. “States are responsible... Must be made answerable under the law of torts… They are only interested in electioneering. They have no responsibility towards their own people,” Justice Arun Mishra said. “Everybody is interested in gimmicks and elections,” Justice Mishra said after the judges were given a bundle of reasons for air pollution levels that have led authorities to shut down schools in Delhi and suburbs.

The top court said this had turned into an annual affair.

“Every year this is happening… Every year, Delhi is choking for 10 to 15 days. This cannot happen in a civilised country. In case people don’t know how to respect their rights, then they have no right… The right to life is most important,” the court said.

Farm fires and emissions from firecrackers (that peak during Diwali) result in heavy concentrations of PM2.5 ultrafine particles in the air, which can lead to major health problems since they can enter the bloodstream after penetrating deep into the lungs. expected to discuss the Opposition alliance’s response to this at his meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

The Maharashtra BJP believes it would be an exercise in futility, particularly since Fadnavis would come back to Mumbai with a plan vetted by Amit Shah. The two BJP leaders are believed to have discussed how the BJP could get its recalcitrant partner to join the government that it intends to lead.

“We are hopeful that things will be resolved soon and BJP along with Shiv Sena will form the government in Maharashtra once again,” Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye told HT as Fadnavis walked into his meeting with Shah.

“Our talks are on and we are expecting the impasse will be resolved in a day or two,” said a BJP functionary wishing not to be named.

For now, the Shiv Sena has given no indication that the BJP has been able to mollify its brass.

Senior Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Maharashtra minister Ramdas Kadam met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari -- the third big political meeting of the day -- at 5pm on Monday, a Raj Bhavan official said.

Raut hasn’t indicated the agenda for his meeting with the governor although he had earlier said it will be a “courtesy call” with no political motive.

“It will be a courtesy meet and not political. I am going to talk to the governor on various issues. We will also inform him about our stand,” he told reporters in Mumbai without elaborating.

His party is expected to closely track Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi in Delhi that NCP leaders say could prove to be significant.

“This meeting between both the leaders (Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar) is important... New political equations can also come up,” senior NCP leader and MP Sunil Tatkare said, adding that his party and the Sena were in touch.

It was on Sunday that the NCP, for the first time, acknowledged that the NCP and Sena were in touch on the political situation in the state. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said he had received a message from Sena leader Sanjay Raut and would be calling him back. According to people familiar with the development, one arrangement being explored includes getting smaller parties and Independents on board and forming a government with the support of the NCP.