The air in the national capital was so toxic after Diwali that the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR and had advised people, especially children and the aged, to limit their exposure to the environment.
Last week, the EPCA had declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region as a cocktail of emissions from crackers, stubble burning and unfavourable weather Delhi led to an alarming spike in pollution levels.
"According to the task force's assessment, the air quality situation during the next few days due to festival, meteorology, stubble burning is expected to be challenging," the EPCA chairman said.
The recommendations include banning construction work at night in Delhi-NCR from October 26 to 30 and closure of industries that have not switched to piped natural gas.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, seeking approval for the registration of 15,000 e-auto rickshaws to provide last-mile connectivity from all 184 metro stations in the national capital.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal on Wednesday chaired a meeting convened by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and reviewed the problem related to drains and violation of disposal rules in Delhi, subsequently direct officials to ensure proper flow of drains.
Industries located in hotspot industrial areas of Wazirpur, Mundka, Narela, Bawana, Sahibabad and Faridabad will remain closed until Wednesday, EPCA Chairperson Bhure Lal said in a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said unfavourable meteorological conditions are likely to keep the air quality in the severe category for the next couple of days.
The Centre had removed a JNU professor, accused of sexual harassment, from the EPCA back in July.
Since last Tuesday, the air quality index or the AQI has surged by four times, reaching the 159 mark, as per centre's SAFAR initiative - System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research Institute.
At around 1 pm today, the concentration of PM2.5 was 320.9 microgram per cubic metre (ug/m3), while PM10 was 496 ug/m3, four units short of the emergency limit of 500 ug/m3.
New Delhi, Nov 10: Taking a serious note of the drop in air quality and smog cover that has engulfed the city, a Supreme Court-appointed body today asked Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments
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