Delhi-NCR under smog blanket, AQI remains in ‘severe’ category
Delhi-NCR woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Wednesday as air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day as the cold gripped the region.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday said that the Sub-Committee for the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has directed Pollution Control Boards (PCBs)/Committee of the National Capital Region (NCR) and the stakeholders/agencies concerned to take urgent steps regarding dust abatement measures and their monitoring.
Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) clocked 243 (‘Poor’ category) on date as per the Daily AQI Bulletin from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Ministry said.
Taking note of the increase in the average air quality of Delhi-NCR over past few days, the Sub-Committee for Invoking Actions under GRAP of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) accordingly met today to take stock of the current air quality scenario of Delhi-NCR and also assess technical as well as expert inputs related to forecasts for overall air quality of Delhi-NCR put forward by IITM/IMD.
“While reviewing the air quality scenario in the region, it was informed that the wind direction and speeds are rapidly changing due to high convection rates and absolute dry conditions coupled with high temperatures leading to continued suspension of dust over the NCR,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Further, it was deliberated that higher instances of agricultural residue burning in and around NCR areas and also the forest fires in the nearby states could also be having an impact on the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR.
The Sub-Committee for GRAP, after comprehensively reviewing the air quality scenario directed the Pollution Control Boards (PCBs)/Committee of NCR concerned and the stakeholders/ agencies concerned to take urgent steps.
The urgent steps includes to conduct intensive drives at major pollution hotspots in the region focusing on dust abatement measures and their monitoring, augment the number/frequency of water sprinklers and mechanical road sweeping equipment in the region and keep a close watch on fire instances and open burning of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in and around NCR, and ensure all preventive measures.
The urgent steps also includes Dust Control & Management Cells (DCMCs) in the Road Owning Agencies to keep a strong vigil on all road construction/ maintenance projects for effective implementation of the prescribed measures, NCR State PCBs/ DPCC to intensify enforcement mechanism of all dust control measures at C&D project sites and flying squads of the CPCB to also intensify inspections for appropriate action against sites/ projects flouting the statutory directions of the Commission.
With collaborative and concerted efforts of all concerned agencies, the overall AQI of Delhi can be improved in the coming days. Further, the Sub-Committee will be keeping a close watch on the situation and would frequently review the air quality scenario of Delhi-NCR accordingly.
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