There are 372 water sprinkling tanks operating in Delhi at present, Gopal Rai said
New Delhi:
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced emergency measures to reduce pollution and said there would be 100 per cent work from home (WFH) for government departments by November 21.
Rai said that construction and demolition work has also been banned in Delhi till November 21, while schools and other educational institutions in the national capital will remain closed till further orders.
Addressing the media after a high-level meeting to strictly implement the suggestions of the Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM), Mr Rai said, “We have given directions to ban the entry of all vehicles in Delhi, except where it includes the vehicles involved. in essential services. The police department and the transport department together will ensure this.”
“The list of diesel vehicles more than ten years old and petrol vehicles older than 15 years has been submitted by the transport department to the police. They will initiate action on it, their movement will be stopped. Under Fuel Control (PUC) certificate Pollution checking stations will be further strengthened.
The Environment Minister also informed that a Special Task Force of Traffic Police will be constituted to monitor the traffic congestion so that the traffic can be smoothened and pollution caused due to vehicular congestion can be checked.
He further informed that the process of hiring 1000 private Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to augment the public transport in Delhi will start from tomorrow.
“Metro and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) have written to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to review the decision to allow people to sit only. Standing in Metro/DTC was not allowed due to COVID,” said Mr. Rai.
He also said that at present 372 water sprinkling tanks are running in Delhi.
“Water machines of fire brigade will be deployed at 13 hotspots to ensure sprinkling of more water. Only gas will be allowed in industries, action will be taken against using polluted fuel,” said environment minister. he said.
With regard to strict implementation of the latest directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to control air pollution in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas, a high level meeting was called by Mr. Rai at his residence today.
Officials from Environment Department, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Police, Traffic Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) attended the meeting.
The national capital’s air quality showed no improvement today as the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category at 387, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s data at 10 am.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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