Delhi-NCR air pollution turns 'severe': Non-essential construction, diesel trucks banned, schools advised to go online

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) - the central government's pollution control panel - on Thursday issued directions to ban non-essential construction work in Delhi-NCR and the entry of diesel-guzzling trucks into the city as air quality plunged to the 'severe' category.

The commission invoked Stage III of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under which various activities including construction have been banned. The panel said the average Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi on Wednesday at 5:00 PM stood at 402 "which is only expected to increase further owing to the highly unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions".

The commission directed the authorities in Delhi-NCR to further intensify public transport services and introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. The state governments have been told to consider schools going back online again. The state governments and Delhi may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes in an online mode. 

List of activities restricted in Delhi-NCR

- Construction and demolition activities banned in the entire NCR 

- All structural construction works including fabrication and welding operations

- 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 road

- 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

- Grinding activities

- Piling work

- Road construction, repair works including paving of sidewalks, pathways and central verges etc.

The AQI in many areas has already breached the 400 mark to enter the severe category. This morning, visibility reduced to just 500 metres at the Safdarjung Observatory around 7 am, gradually improving to 800 metres as temperatures increased during the day. 

At 3 pm, the city's AQI reached 378. The 24-hour average AQI was 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday. Several areas within the city, including Punjabi Bagh (439), Dwarka Sector-8 (420), Jahangirpuri (403), Rohini (422), Narela (422), Wazirpur (406), Bawana (432), Mundka (439), Anand Vihar (452) and New Moti Bagh (406), recorded 'severe' air quality.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. 

(With inputs from PTI)