Air quality in Delhi remains in "very poor" category

Air quality in Delhi remained in the "very poor" category today with an overall air quality index (AQI) staying above 300. The national capital also recorded a dip in minimum temperature at 15 degrees Celsius, which was a notch below the season's average temperature in this period.

The Centre's air quality panel has already banned the construction and demolition activities in the Delhi-NCR and other curbs under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan due to recent surge in pollution levels. GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

The system classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage I - "Poor" (AQI 201-300); Stage II - "Very Poor" (AQI 301-400); Stage III - "Severe" (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - "Severe Plus" (AQI >450).


As per reports, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution rose to 26 per cent on Sunday, the highest this year. The 24-hour average AQI on Saturday was 397, the worst since January. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali).

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) reported 1,761 farm fires in Punjab on Sunday, 1,898 on Saturday, 2,067 - the highest so far this season - on Friday and 1,111 on Thursday. It logged 112 and 43 cases of stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, on Sunday.

The CAQM had on Thursday said the increased incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year "is a matter of serious concern".

Delhi government has set up 586 teams to ensure strict implementation of the ban on construction and demolition activities announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in view of worsening air quality.

The restrictions on construction and demolition activities will not be applicable on essential projects concerning national security, defence, railways and metro rail among others.

The ban on construction and demolition activities covers earthwork for excavation, boring and drilling; fabrication and welding operations; loading and unloading of construction material; transfer of raw material, including fly ash, either manually or through conveyor belts and vehicular movement on unpaved roads.

It also bans the operation of batching plants; laying of sewer lines, waterline, drainage work and electric cabling through open trench system; cutting and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials; grinding activities; piling work; water proofing work; road construction and repair works, including paving of sidewalks, pathways and central verges among others.

Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers not operating on clean fuels, and mining and associated activities in the NCR have also been banned.

NCR authorities have also been asked to close down industries not running on approved fuels in industrial areas having PNG infrastructure and supply.

In industrial areas not having PNG infrastructure and supply, industries not using approved fuels can operate only for five days a week.

(Inputs from PTI)