Category: Environment and WIldlife

Under this plan, vehicles with odd-numbered license plates can drive on odd dates, and those with even-numbered plates on even dates….reports Asian Lite News

In bid to combat the worsening air quality in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting on Monday, focusing on addressing the air pollution crisis, and decided on various measures, including launching the odd-even scheme next week.

Expressing his deep concern about the situation, Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, including Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Education Minister Atishi, deliberated on key decisions to mitigate the issue.

Addressing the media on the government’s strategy after the meeting, Rai said that the government has decided to implement the Odd-Even scheme from November 13 to 20, post-Diwali, in response to the anticipated surge in pollution levels.

Under this scheme, vehicles with licence plates ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) will be allowed to operate on odd days, while vehicles with even-numbered plates (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8) will be permitted on even days.

“A comprehensive action plan, developed in collaboration with relevant departments, including Transport and Traffic Police, will be formulated during a meeting on Tuesday,” he said.

“Furthermore, the government has extended the closure of schools for students in Classes 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 grades until November 10, in addition to the existing closure of schools up to Class 5. Notably, board exams for Classes 10 and 12 will proceed as scheduled,” said Rai.

In response to concerns raised about the efficacy of pollution control efforts, Rai said that the Delhi government’s continuous year-round commitment to reducing pollution through various long-term initiatives, such as the Summer and Winter Action Plans.

“According to scientists and the meteorological department’s analysis, the main reason for the rise in pollution within Delhi is the continuous drop in temperatures and very low wind speed. The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was 347 on October 30. Subsequently, it increased to 359 on October 31, 364 on November 1, 392 on November 2, 468 on November 3, and 415 on November 4. Then, on November 5, it increased further to 454, and on Monday, it was recorded at an AQI of 436, which had peaked at 468 in between,” he said.

“To reduce vehicular pollution in Delhi, the Transport Department and Traffic Police have conducted campaigns to check Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed for violating PUC norms, and 28,471 fines have been issued to vehicles during the periods of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) levels I, II, and III,” said Rai.

“This has helped in controlling vehicles that contribute to pollution in Delhi. Moreover, an anti-dust campaign was conducted in Delhi, where 12,769 construction sites were inspected. Violations of norms were found at 324 locations, resulting in fines of around Rs 74 lakh. Complaints related to the increase in pollution have been received through the Green Delhi app. From October 3 until now, 1,646 complaints have been registered, and 1,581 of these complaints have been resolved with the cooperation of various departments.”

“Additionally, 233 smog towers have been installed at various projects, and 106 anti-smog guns have been installed on government buildings to control pollution. Mobile anti-smog guns have been spraying water on the roads at 192 locations,” Rai claimed.

“Various teams have been deployed for different tasks, such as addressing open burning, checking vehicle emissions, and enforcing restrictions on fireworks. In total, 611 teams are working in the field to address open burning, 385 teams are checking vehicle emissions, and 210 police teams have been formed to control the use of firecrackers.

“Furthermore, 82 MRTs (Multi-Tasking Resource Vehicles) are cleaning the roads through water sprinkling and cleaning. An additional 345 water sprinklers from various departments are working on the roads to mitigate pollution in different areas. The concerted efforts include the installation of 233 smog towers at different project sites and 192 mobile anti-smog guns spraying water on the roads. Additionally, 106 anti-smog guns have been installed in various government buildings to combat pollution,” he added.

The Environment Minister further said that in Delhi, there is a complete ban on fireworks.

“Last time, despite the ban, fireworks were set off in various places. In this regard, the police have been instructed to keep their teams on alert, as Diwali is just a few days away.

“Additionally, there are World Cup matches, and Chhath Puja is also approaching.”

The Environment Minister urged the BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a ban on fireworks in their states as well and monitor the situation to prevent it from deteriorating further.

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A decision was taken to stop construction work within a one-kilometer radius in hot spots where the AQI level continuously remains close to 400…reports Asian Lite News

Environment Minister Gopal Rai chaired a review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday on the rising pollution level and implementation of Graded Response Action Plan-II.

A decision was taken to stop construction work within a one-kilometer radius in hot spots where the AQI level continuously remains close to 400, he said.

“The entry of diesel buses into Delhi has been stopped from today as per the directions by CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management). 18 teams have been formed for this…It is my request to the state governments to ply only CNG, Electric or BS-VI buses from their depots so that passengers do not face any trouble,” the Delhi environment minister said.

Taking account of the poor air quality situation of the national capital, Rai said that the next 15-20 days from November 1 onwards would be critical in the context of the air quality index.

Speaking to ANI, Rai said: “From November 1, the next 15 to 20 days are critical. Scientists are saying that the temperature is dropping and the speed of air has decreased, so pollutants are at a lower level. Yesterday, AQI was nearly 350. Due to the work going on in the 13 hotspots in Delhi, the situation is fairly under control. At some hotspots, vehicle pollution’s contribution is high.”

The Environment Minister further said that different departments will convene a meeting later in the day to analyse the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II.

“Today there is a meeting of different departments to analyze GRAP-II, which was implemented in all of Delhi. We have asked for reports from different places to know what the sources of local pollution are. We have requested that the state governments send CNG or BS-VI buses from the depot itself. The report released by the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) shows that stubble burning has reduced, but its impact can be seen on Delhi pollution,” the minister added.

Meanwhile, the air quality index in the national capital was recorded at 336 on Wednesday morning bringing the air quality under the ‘very poor’ category for the fourth day in a row and the third straight day this week.

As per the SAFAR-India, the city’s AQI has been in the ‘very poor’ category since Sunday (309).

The AQI was recorded at 322 on Monday and 327 on Tuesday, as per the data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India. (ANI)

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