NEW DELHI: Facing severe criticism for failing to curb pollution in the city, the Delhi government on Friday announced a shutdown of physical classes for primary grades from Saturday till further orders and curtailing outdoor activities for senior grades. The city government said 50 per cent of its staff will work from home, advising private offices to follow suit.
The government also banned the entry of trucks other than those carrying essential services in the city under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Violation of the government’s ban on plying of certain vehicles will attract a penalty of Rs 20,000, a senior official said. The order issued by Delhi Transport Department states that the BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicle will be banned from plying in areas under the jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi.
Delhi’s air quality remained “severe” for the second day, with stubble burning accounting for 30% of the PM2.5 pollution, according to the Central Pollution Control Board and SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Ministry of Earth and Sciences.
Experts said that stubble burning contributes 34% to air pollution in the city. The overall Air Quality Index of Delhi stood at 445 at 2pm. An AQI of above 400 is considered “severe” which can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing illnesses. Amid the steps to improve the air quality, the government said a special task force will be formed for hotspots.
A six-member panel chaired by the special commissioner of transport has been set up to monitor the implementation of curbs on anti-polluting activities. Revenue commissioners have been told to prepare a plan for staggered timings of markets and offices. In a bid to ramp up public transport, the government will rope in 500 privately-run CNG buses.
SC agrees to hear PIL on air pollution on Nov 10
A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi on Friday agreed to list for hearing on November 10 a PIL seeking fresh guidelines on stubble burning to curb rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The PIL sought a direction to schools, colleges and government and private offices to go virtual.
Kejriwal says sorry for stubble burning in Punjab
CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Friday owned responsibility for paddy straw burning and promised to curb the practice by next winter. “We (AAP) have our government in Punjab and we are responsible if ‘parali’ is being burnt there. Farmers are not responsible for it,” Kejriwal said at a press meet.
NHRC summon to 4 chief secys on stubble burning
Peeved with the steps taken to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to be present before it on November 10. The chief secretaries are expected to inform NHRC within a week about the steps taken by their respective governments to stop stubble burning.
