7.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Nepal; tremors felt across north India
A powerful earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck Nepal on Tuesday morning, sending tremors across parts of North India, including Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim and Delhi-NCR.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked the curbs under stage III of its anti-pollution Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR and Adjoining areas on Thursday after noting an rising trend in Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.
An order of the Centre’s panel on air quality for Delhi read, “The Sub-Committee on GRAP, in its meeting held today, reviewed the air quality scenario in the region as well as the IMD/llTM forecasts and observed as under: The AQI of Delhi which was recorded as 297 on O8.O1.2O25, exhibited a sharp increasing trend and has been recorded 357 at 4 pm on 09.01.2025 owing to calm winds and foggy conditions.”
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The commission, in an effort to prevent further deterioration of the AQI and in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directives, decided to invoke all the actions under Stage III of the revised schedule of the GRAP with immediate effect.
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The measures under stage III will be enforced in addition to the already in place stage I and II actions.
Only those buses powered by CNG, electric, BS-VI Diesel compliant shall be allowed to enter the national capital, as per stage III guidelines, while the BS-IV Diesel and BS-III Petrol four wheelers
will also be restricted from plying on city roads.
However, persons with disabilities who have the vehicles as per their use will be exempt from restrictions on their BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles during this period.
Medium goods vehicles (MGVs) powered by Diesel that are BS-IV or older standards will not be allowed, except those carrying essential goods, within the city.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily AQI bulletin released at 4 pm on Thursday, Delhi’s air quality reeled under the ‘very poor’ category with an index value of 357, based on the average of the past 24 hours.
The pollution monitoring agency informed that the prominent pollutant in the city’s air was PM 2.5 particles.
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