Delhi Pollution Crisis: AQI Remains in ‘Severe’ Category for Third Straight Day
Delhi’s air quality continued to worsen on Wednesday, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 423, marking the third consecutive day in the ‘severe’ zone. Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that 50% of state government employees will now work from home to mitigate the crisis.
Mundka recorded the highest pollution levels in the city with an AQI of 464, followed closely by Wazirpur and Alipur at 462. Meanwhile, visibility at IGI Airport stood at 800 meters as of 7 a.m.
In a post on X, Gopal Rai announced that 50% of government office staff would work from home. He added that the implementation details would be discussed in a meeting with officials later in the day.
The India Meteorological Department predicted that smog or shallow fog conditions would persist throughout the day.
What Steps Is Delhi Taking to Combat Pollution?
With smog and dangerously high pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management has implemented Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) starting Monday morning.
GRAP, a set of emergency measures designed to prevent further air quality deterioration, is triggered when pollution levels exceed specific thresholds in the Delhi-NCR region. Formulated after consultations between the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, state government representatives, and experts, the plan was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 and officially notified in 2017.
Measures to Control Pollution in Delhi:
1. Truck Traffic Restrictions: Entry of trucks into Delhi will be prohibited, except those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services. However, trucks running on LNG, CNG, electric power, or BS-VI diesel will be allowed entry.
2. Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs): LCVs registered outside Delhi, other than EVs, CNG, or BS-VI diesel vehicles, will be barred from entering the city, except those transporting essential goods or services.
3. Diesel Vehicle Ban: A strict ban will be enforced on Delhi-registered BS-IV and below diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), with exemptions for essential commodities and services.
4. Construction and Demolition Halt: All construction and demolition activities, including those for linear public projects (highways, roads, flyovers, bridges, power transmission, pipelines, telecommunications, etc.), will be suspended, as per GRAP Stage-III.
5. School Closures and Online Classes: NCR state governments and the Delhi government may decide to suspend physical classes for students in classes VI-IX and class XI, switching to online lessons.
6. Office Work Restrictions: NCR state governments and Delhi authorities may mandate 50% workforce capacity in public, municipal, and private offices, with the remainder working from home.
7. Central Government Work-from-Home: The Central Government may decide to implement work-from-home policies for employees in central government offices.
8. Additional Emergency Measures: State governments may consider further actions, such as closing colleges and educational institutions, halting non-essential commercial activities, or implementing an odd-even vehicle scheme based on registration numbers.
