New Delhi: Work from home for 50 per cent staff for both government and private offices, shutting down six of the 11 thermal power plants in 300 km radius of Delhi, ban on construction activity till November 21 with exemptions and all schools, colleges and educational institutions to hold online classes only – these are some of the main directives as part of the emergency measures in view of the severe air pollution.These would be applicable with immediate effect.
The Commission for Air Quality Management for Delhi and Surrounding Areas (CAQM), an agency under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), on Tuesday held an emergency meeting wherein it was decided to shut down all industries that are running on non-gas fuels for all NCR states; no entry of trucks in Delhi till November 21, except those carrying essential goods; no diesel or petrol vehicles more than 15 years to run on Delhi roads and no plying of visibly polluting vehicles with stricter checks about PUC certificate.
It also included deploying adequate number of buses/public transport; deploying anti-smog guns, water sprinklers and augmentation of dust suppressants thrice a day; penalty on persons/organisations stacking construction and demolition waste on roads, roadsides and a total ban on DG sets as per GRAP (graded response action plan, already in place since a month), the meeting decided.
Earlier, hearing the petition on Monday, the Supreme Court had reprimanded the Centre and the states, especially Delhi government, for their failure to reign in air pollution that had reached hazardous levels last week and is currently hovering on ‘severe’ and avery poor’ level.
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