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People advise WFH, carpool as Delhi air pollution worsens: 10 points

December 31, 2022
Bharat Times

Non-polluting activities like plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration are allowed

new Delhi:
Delhi government has advised citizens to WFH (Work From Home) as the Centre’s panel banned non-essential construction, demolition work amid deteriorating air quality in the capital.

Here are the main points of this big story:

  1. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 399 on Friday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

  2. The Centre’s air quality panel on Friday said the AQI is likely to move into the ‘severe’ category due to calm winds and stable atmospheric conditions.

  3. The air quality is likely to remain ‘severe’ till tomorrow.

  4. The next phase – ‘Severe Plus’ includes steps like banning entry of trucks in Delhi, closure of educational institutions and plying of vehicles on odd-even basis, etc.

  5. The Delhi government will decide today whether to ban the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers.

  6. Non-polluting activities such as plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration and electrical work are allowed.

  7. Earlier, the Centre’s air quality panel on Wednesday said that industries using non-approved fuel, including coal, in Delhi-NCR will be shut down from January 1 and will be fined heavily.

  8. However, the use of low sulfur coal is allowed in thermal power plants.

  9. Stubble burning, a major reason behind the alarming pollution levels in Delhi-NCR in October-November, has come down by 30 per cent in Punjab and 48 per cent in Haryana this year.

  10. A government report has revealed that the pollutant load in the Yamuna has increased significantly in the last five years. The Delhi government had promised to clean the river to bathing level by 2025.