Delhi shuts schools, govt offices for a week due to air pollution
Mangalore Today News Network
New Delhi, Nov 13, 2021: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Saturday that schools in the national capital will be closed for a week starting Monday. The decision was taken to ensure that children do not breathe polluted air, Kejriwal told reporters following an emergency meeting with top officials at the Secretariat.
CM Kejriwal said that government officials will be working from home for a week, adding that private offices are also advised to follow the same protocol.
The chief minister added that the Delhi government is working on a proposal for lockdown in the national capital. This proposal will be presented to the Supreme Court, he added.
Construction activities have also been prohibited in Delhi from November 14 to 17, CM Kejriwal said after the meeting on Saturday.
The chief minister said that air pollution levels are rising in Delhi due to stubble burning in neighbourin
g states and called upon all stakeholders to work together to combat it.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Friday advised government and private offices in Delhi to cut down their vehicular usage by at least 30 per cent. The pollution body issued an advisory, advising people to limit their outdoor activities and minimise their exposure to the air in the city.
Delhi recorded its worst air quality index (AQI) level of this season on Friday with a 24-hour average of 471.
The air quality in Delhi remained in the ’severe’ category on Saturday morning, with the AQI being recorded at 473. The air quality index of neighbouring areas of Noida and Gurgaon was recorded at 587 and 557 respectively.
The overall air quality index of Delhi was recorded at 473 at 10 am. In Delhi, the air quality index of Lodhi Road, Delhi University, IIT Delhi, Pusa Road-l, and Delhi airport was recorded at 489, 466, 474 and 480 and 504 respectively, according to SAFAR.
The Supreme Court pulled up the Centre and the state governments while hearing a plea concerning air pollution in Delhi on Saturday. The court suggested imposing a two-day lockdown in the city amid worsening air quality.
The plea was filed in the Supreme Court by 17-year-old Delhi student Aditya Dubey concerning rising levels of air pollution in the city. A special bench of CJI NV Ramana, Justice DY Chandrachud, and Justice Suryakant heard the petition on Saturday.
Talking about the worsening air quality in Delhi, CJI Ramana said, “We have seen how bad the situation is. We are wearing masks even inside our homes.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued, “Everyone is fighting their own battle- state, the Centre, agencies. We have filed a short summary of steps taken by everyone.”
On the problem of stubble burning, Tushar Mehta claimed that five steps have been taken.
“Two lakh machines [have been made] available for decomposing the stubble for in situ crop stubble management. There are avenues that the statutory commission has opened for using up the stubble in biomass plants etc. There is a complete prohibition on burning,” Tushar Mehta said.
Graded Response Action Committee (GRAP) committee issues orders:
1) States and concerned agencies must be in complete readiness for implementing ‘Emergency Measures’ (as listed under GRAP) on short notice.
2) Increasing the frequency of mechanized cleaning of roads and the sprinkling of water on roads. Identify road stretches with high dust generation.
2) Ensuring all brick kilns remain closed in Delhi-NCR as per the directions of NGT.
4) Ensuring closure of all hot-mix plants and stone crushers in Delhi-NCR.
5) Maximizing the generation of power from existing natural gas-based plants to reduce the operation of coal-based power plants in the NCR (Badarpur power plant has already been shut).
6) Intensifying public transport services (bus and metro) by augmenting contract buses and increasing the frequency of services, in addition to introducing differential rates to encourage off-peak travel.
7) Conducting regular inspections for strict enforcement of dust control measures at construction sites and closing non-compliant sites.
8) Ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to discourage the use of generator sets.
9) Stopping the use of diesel generator sets (except for emergency purposes).
10) Enhancing parking fee for private vehicles by 3-4 times.
11) Stopping the use of coal/firewood in hotels and open eateries.
12) Issuing alerts in newspapers/TV/radio to advise people with respiratory and cardiac patients to avoid polluted areas and restrict outdoor movement.
13) Enforcing/stopping garbage burning in landfills and other places and imposing heavy fines on the person responsible.
14) Enforcing all pollution control regulations in industries and thermal power plants.
Courtesy:India Today