NEW DELHI: With pollution on the rise and the city literally gasping for air, the national capital could soon see the implementation of more measures recommended under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Some GRAP measures are already in force in the city. With the air quality slipping to ‘severe’ category post-Diwali, experts said it was time for the government to implement all measures recommended under GRAP.
“The air quality has turned ‘severe’ in many areas. All GRAP measures should be implemented without hindering essential services. While the government has put a stop to construction work at night, it must also crackdown on garbage burning in the open, as well as industrial emissions.
For the implementation of the ‘Odd-Even’ scheme, the government has to be ready with additional public transport. It also has to prepare for a response if the air quality breaches the emergency level,” Vivek Chattopadhyay, senior programme manager (Clean Air Program), told this newspaper.
As per data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality in the city has been in the ‘severe’ category since Diwali night. Anand Vihar was the most polluted part of the city on Wednesday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 466.
Wazirpur, Bawana, Ashok Vihar, DTU and Mundka followed closely with AQI counts of 460, 456, 455, 438 and 434 respectively.
If the air quality drops below the ‘severe’ category, the GRAP recommendations include closing of brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushing units, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said, “We’re doing what we can to reduce pollution. We have set up many panels to monitor air quality and suggest remedial measures. We’ve started procuring 50 lakh N95 pollution masks to be given to students.”