Delhi Air Quality Becomes 'Severe', Govt Shuts Schools And Calls Emergency Meeting

Delhi's air quality plunged to 'severe' on Friday afternoon as the national capital's overall air quality index (AQI) reached 492, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) service of the Union Ministry of Earth Science.

Amid the worsening air quality, the Delhi government has imposed a ban on non-essential construction activities and has ordered the closure of all primary schools for the next two days under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). 

While the overall AQI of Delhi stood at 492, some place in Delhi crossed that, such as Wazirpur (498), Major Dhyanchand Stadium (498), Rohini (495), and Okhla Phase 2 (497), according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).  

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has also called an emergency meeting on Friday. This would be Rai's second major meeting in the past 10 days. So far, the Delhi government has identified more pollution hotspots, ordered the usage of dust suppressants, and increased the number of buses and metro trains to ease vehicular emissions. 

All schools have been asked to hold classes in online mode on November 3 and 4, an official order by MCD read.

The Delhi government has also imposed a ban on the plying of BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel cars in Delhi including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday implemented the third stage of the GRAP. Under the updated status, all primary schools have been ordered to be closed and all non-essential construction works have been banned. 

In addition to non-essential construction, all stone-crushing and mining works have also been banned.

Even as pollution-control measures are escalated, the PTI on Friday reported that scientists have warned of further deterioration of air quality in Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) over the next two weeks.

Smoke from stubble burning accounted for 25 per cent of the PM2.5 pollution in Delhi. Delhi's air quality in October 2023 was the worst since 2020 with no rainfall in October this year. Delhi's air pollution peaks between November 1 to November 15 when the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana increases. 

Section 144 has been invoked in Gurugram in the wake of the worsening air quality index. Noida and Greater Noida too come under GRAP III restrictions starting from Friday.

Delhi Metro will run 20 extra trains as people are encouraged to ditch cars and use the metro.

Other banned activities in Delhi under GRAP III include: demolition works, loading and unloading of construction materials anywhere within or outside the project sites, transfer of raw materials either manually or through conveyor belts, including fly ash, movement of vehicles on unpaved roads, operation of batching plant, laying of sewer line, waterline, drainage work and electric cabling by open trench system, cutting and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials, waterproofing work, painting, polishing and varnishing works etc and road construction/ repair works including paving of sidewalks/pathways and central verges etc.

The government will increase the frequency of mechanised sweeping of roads and ensure daily water-sprinkling along with dust suppressants.