NEW DELHI: The city has recorded 137 clean air days till August 4 this year as against 130 during the corresponding period last year, the government said on Tuesday, attributing the improvement to sustained planning and scientific interventions.
Delhi has recorded five consecutive days of ‘satisfactory’ air quality until Tuesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining within the range of 51 to 100, the government said.
The capital recorded an AQI of 64 on Tuesday. Pollution hotspot Vivek Vihar recorded an AQI of 43, which falls in the ‘good’ category (0-50). In 2016, Delhi logged only 110 clean air days, the statement said.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the improvement was a result of sustained planning and scientific interventions, among other things.
“The steady improvement in the city’s air quality reflects the outcome of sustained planning, scientific interventions and round-the-clock efforts by multiple government agencies, as well as sustainable and environment-friendly practices adopted by citizens,” Sirsa said.
He said the government will continue to strengthen enforcement, dust mitigation measures, biomining of legacy waste, pollution hotspot management and continuous monitoring to further improve air quality.
The minister urged citizens to support the government’s efforts by avoiding open waste burning, maintaining vehicles properly, reducing unnecessary vehicle use and planting more trees.
“The fight against pollution cannot be won by the government alone. Every citizen has an important role to play,” Sirsa said.
The anti-pollution drive continued across the capital over the past 24 hours, he said, during which around 2,243 metric tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste were lifted and scientifically disposed of.
Enforcement teams issued 11,797 challans for violations contributing to vehicular pollution. Scientific dust suppression measures, monitoring of pollution hotspots and traffic management interventions were also carried out.
