Delhi’s air quality degrades after crackers were burst in violation of Diwali orders
New Delhi:
Delhi schools will shift to online classes from Monday, all construction activities will stop, and government offices will work from home, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday, as the national capital engulfed the city for over a week. is fighting. Now.
The WFH order for government offices is also, for now, seven days.
However, construction works – among them those that contribute to dust and microscopic pollutants in the air – will remain closed for only four days – from November 14 to 17, the chief minister said.
Mr Kejriwal’s four-stage pollution control plan, which includes planning a city-wide lockdown, comes hours after the angry Supreme Court sought the government at the Center and an emergency response over long-term efforts to tackle the problem in Delhi. Priority is given.
“Schools will remain closed (they can virtually continue) for a week from Monday so that children do not have to breathe polluted air. Construction activities will not be allowed between November 14 and 17,” Kejriwal told reporters.
“Government offices will work from home (WFH) at 100 per cent capacity for a week. An advisory will be issued to private offices to go for WFH option as much as possible,” he said.
Delhi and its adjoining areas, including Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad, have been suffocating under the deadly cover of polluted air for more than seven days – starting with Diwali last week.
Thousands of people burst crackers in these and other areas before, during and after Diwali, in blatant violation of the orders of the Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments, leading to a shocking drop in air quality levels.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the total AQI in Delhi at 6.30 pm was 427.
AQI readings over 400 are considered ‘severe’ or ‘alarming’. At these levels, polluted air contains high concentrations of PM2.5 particles and can cause heart and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer.
The air quality level in Delhi has also been affected by stubble burning by farmers in the surrounding areas – another annual problem that adds to the pollutants in the atmosphere.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court pulled up the Center over the Delhi air crisis.,
Chief Justice NV Ramana said: “You see how bad the situation is…. Even in our homes, we are wearing masks. Tell us how you plan to take emergency measures. Two-day lockdown? What is your plan on reducing the AQI?)?”
Breathing Delhi’s air “is like smoking 20 cigarettes a day,” the state government admitted in court, insisting, “We agree with the gravity of the situation.”
The Chief Justice warned the Center to look beyond politics and work with the Arvind Kejriwal government to solve an annual (and worsening) problem in the city.
Coming down heavily on the Delhi government, the court said: “You opened all the schools two weeks ago… all the children are exposing their lungs to this dangerous air.”
The court also questioned the Centre’s plan to stop stubble burning and was clearly not affected by the blame game on farmers in Punjab.
“Why are you projecting (d) pollution because of farmers? It is only a certain percentage of pollution. What about the rest? What are you doing to control pollution in Delhi? You tell us that plan What is… not about 2-3 days,” the court insisted.
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