A thick blanket of smog covered the Capital on Thursday with the air quality remaining in the “severe” category for the second consecutive day.
The level of PM 2.5 (deadly respirable particles), which is a chief pollutant, was almost five times (286.7 ug/m3) the safe limit (60ug/m3) in Delhi and NCR at 8 p.m.
The pollution is chiefly due to stubble burning in neighbouring States and very low wind speed. The air quality is expected to slightly improve on Friday and then on Saturday, according to government-run monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
The stubble fire counts in Haryana and Punjab have increased to 2,396 from 1,057 in the last 24 hours, SAFAR said. But its contribution to Delhi’s pollution has decreased to 27% on Thursday from 35% (Wednesday), it added.
The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) extended a ban on construction activities, hot mix plants and stone crushers from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. to November 2. The ban will be applicable to Delhi as well as Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Sonipat and Bahadurgarh. Also, coal-based industries will remain shut till November 2.
“We have called a meeting and if the pollution persists, then we will think about implementing the other steps,” EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal told The Hindu . The EPCA will have to enforce odd-even vehicle rationing scheme and a complete ban on construction activities among other measures if the pollution stays in “severe” category for 48 hours.
“The Chief Secretary [Delhi] and Secretary of the Environment Department [Centre] talk over phone about the situation every day. The Chief Secretary is holding meetings almost every alternate day with different agencies to control pollution,” a senior government official said.
Meanwhile, the contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring States to the city’s pollution is expected to decrease to 25% on Friday. Also, a fresh western disturbance will approach north-west India by November 2 and is likely to influence Delhi’s air quality positively. An improvement to the lower end of the “very poor” category is expected by November 2.
Published - November 01, 2019 01:40 am IST
