Officials said the Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) in the NCR has issued new guidelines to deal with bad air during the winter months. Praveen Kumar, regional officer of UPPCB in Noida, said, “The guideline talks of implementing different measures depending on the air quality. We are planning to implement the measures properly.”
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The measures will be implemented in four phases. In the first phase, when air quality is in the poor category, measures will include dust mitigation, and handling of all types of waste from construction and demolition sites. Urban local bodies will be asked to ensure mechanized sweeping, use of anti-smoke guns and sprinkling of water at construction sites to settle the dust. There will be a complete ban on burning of biomass and municipal solid waste in the open.
This phase will also require the traffic police to ensure smooth movement of vehicles through the corridors, which are notorious for snoring. Vehicles polluting will be confiscated and their owners will be fined.
In stage 2 – when the air quality is very poor – mechanical cleaning and water sprinkling will have to be done regularly. Dust control measures will be strictly implemented. Apart from the regular restrictions, there will also be a ban on tandoor in hotels, restaurants and open eateries. The power department will be asked to ensure uninterrupted supply to minimize the use of generator sets.
In phase 3 – severe category – urban local bodies will be asked to increase the frequency of mechanized sweeping and water sprinkling and promote the use of public transport. There will be a strict ban on all construction activities except for national projects like railways, metro and airports. Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers will not be allowed to operate.
In Phase 4, the entry of trucks, except those carrying essential goods, will be barred in the serious-plus category. There will be a ban on the construction and demolition of linear projects like highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, pipelines etc. State governments will have to ensure that the offices work at 50% strength.