Delhi government enforces GRAP III measures, staggers office timings to battle 'severe' pollution

The Delhi authorities has banned backstage BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles, prohibited the introduction of interstate non-electric-CNG buses, definite categories of operation activities, and staggered authorities bureau timings, arsenic the metropolis choked nether 'severe'-category aerial contamination Friday morning.

The restrictions were imposed nether signifier III of the Graded Response Action Plan, oregon GRAP, announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) connected Thursday.

The aerial prime scale successful Delhi was 411 (severe) astatine 9 americium connected Friday, according to authoritative data. However, with upwind velocity picking up, the mean 24-hour AQI astatine 4 p.m. came down to 396, inactive successful the 'very poor' category.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the concern volition amended further with higher upwind velocity connected Saturday.

Chief Minister Atishi announced staggered timings for authorities offices successful the metropolis to easiness postulation congestion fixed the contamination levels.

Under the docket announced by her successful a station connected X, cardinal authorities offices volition run from 9 americium to 5.30 pm, Delhi authorities offices from 10 americium to 6.30 pm, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices from 8.30 americium to 5 pm.

Delhi LG V K Saxena issued a enactment approving the staggered authorities bureau timings till February 2025, expressing dissatisfaction that a measurement that should person been successful spot arsenic a pre-emptive measurement was implemented with a hold of respective days.

He said it was expected that the Delhi authorities would guarantee strict enforcement of different measures discussed successful a gathering of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) connected contamination power connected October 24.

Rai successful a property conference, announced assorted steps taken by the authorities to woody with the crisis.

Delhi's aerial prime has been successful the 'severe' class for the past 2 days.

The authorities volition tally 106 shuttle buses and the Metro trains volition marque 60 other trips regular to beforehand nationalist transport. There volition beryllium a broad prohibition connected backstage operation and demolition activities portion indispensable authorities operation works volition continue, helium said.

Government officials surviving crossed the metropolis volition beryllium transported successful 40 dedicated shuttle buses to discourage the usage of backstage vehicles by them, helium said.

Private BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles were banned from roads with violations inviting a punishment of Rs 20,000. Diesel and petrol inter-state buses from the NCR cities to Delhi are besides banned.

The transport section has deployed 84 teams, with an further 280 unit for catching violators, Rai said.

City schools for Classes up to 5 volition displacement to online mode aft the weekend. Principals and teachers of respective backstage schools said they were utilizing apps and astute boards to woody with the situation.

Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather Services told PTI that the aerial prime improved connected Friday owed to upwind speeds of 8 to 12 kmph.
While the AQI volition stay successful the 'very poor' class connected Saturday, it volition amended comparatively.

Out of Delhi's 39 monitoring stations, 18 reported aerial prime successful the 'severe' category, down from 27 successful the morning, according to Sameer app, which provides hourly updates of the nationalist AQI published by the Central Pollution Control Board.

These stations see Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, DTU, Dwarka Sector 8, IGI Airport, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj and Punjabi Bagh.

According to the Centre's Decision Support System for Air Quality Management, stubble burning was the highest contributor to Delhi's contamination connected Thursday, accounting for astir 33.3 per cent of the total.

Vehicular emissions contributed an estimated 11.9 per cent to Delhi's contamination connected Friday.
The salient pollutant, according to the CPCB, was PM2.5, which are good particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres oregon less, astir the width of a quality hair.

These particles are truthful tiny that they tin penetrate heavy into the lungs and adjacent participate the bloodstream, posing important wellness risks.