The Centre on Friday ordered a ban on non-essential building work and plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR amid worsening air high quality within the area. Unfavourable meteorological circumstances together with fog and haze with low wind velocity are the most important causes for a sudden spike in Delhi’s every day common air high quality index (AQI), the Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM), a statutory physique liable for formulating methods to fight air pollution within the area, mentioned in an order.
Delhi’s total AQI is steadily rising since this morning. It stood at 397 at 10 am and 409 at Four pm.
Re-invoking curbs underneath Stage-III of the Graded Response Motion Plan (GRAP), the CAQM ordered a ban on non-essential building work, stone crushing, and mining in Delhi-NCR.
Development work associated to nationwide safety or protection, initiatives of nationwide significance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, energy transmission, pipelines, sanitation, and water provide are exempted from the ban.
Beneath Stage-III, restrictions are additionally imposed on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
GRAP is the Centre’s air air pollution management plan applied within the area throughout the winter season.
GRAP categorises actions into 4 phases: Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘Extreme’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘Extreme Plus’ (AQI>450).
