New Delhi:
As Delhi’s air quality entered the ‘Very Poor’ category on Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced that stage two of the Graded Response Action Plan will be invoked in Delhi-NCR from 8 am on October 22.
As per CAQM, the AQI is forecasted to remain in the ‘Very Poor’ category in the coming days, owing to unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions, and calm winds.
Under stage two of the GRAP, mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads will be carried out on a daily basis, dust control measures will be enforced at construction and demolition sites, use of power generator sets will be discouraged and do’s and don’ts for minimising polluting activities will be issued in news media.
Further, traffic personnel will be deployed at congestion points, vehicle parking fees will be increased to discourage private transport and additional bus and metro services will be started.
People have been advised to use public transport, regularly replace air filters in automobiles and avoid dust-generating construction activities till January.
These measures will be in addition to the GRAP Stage 1 measures that have been in effect since October 15.
As of 6.14 pm, Delhi’s AQI stood at 312 (Very Poor), while the air quality in Ghaziabad and Noida was in the Poor category.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
