NEW DELHI: With the air quality index (AQI) recording above 400 reading (severe) on the second consecutive day, the Delhi government on Thursday said it has formed a six-member Special Task Force (STF) to monitor the implementation of stage four of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Under the GRAP-IV, which is also the final stage to graded plan, among others, construction activities, BS-III petrol, BSIV diesel vehicles and entry of trucks into Delhi are banned besides physical primary classes are suspended.
The government said the AQI for the next two-three days will be “very poor” (300-400) as the wind speed is forecast to be low. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a review meeting with the concerned officers to ensure strict compliance with GRAP rules.
He said the STF will work under the special secretary environment of the Delhi government and will coordinate daily with the concerned departments and solve issues related to the implementation. Special Commissioner of Transport, DCP Traffic Police, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Chief Engineers of MCD and PWD will be the members of the STF. Under the GRAP-IV the BSIII petrol and BS-IV diesel LMV (4-wheeler) are banned and will be fined of ₹20,000. Till date, 16,689 BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles have been fined, Rai said.
Moreover, 19,227 vehicles have been fined during the PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate checking, 6,046 trucks (not related to essential goods and services) not allowed to enter Delhi while 1,316 non-Delhi vehicles have been fined. Moreover, challans have been issued to 921 construction sites and a fine of ₹1.85 crore has been imposed.
Rai said that free bio-decomposers have been sprayed on 2,573 acres of land in Delhi so far. Delhi’s AQI stood at 393 at 9 am on Thursday. Its 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 401 on Wednesday. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, 401-450 severe and 450 above severe plus.