Delhi LG calls urgent meeting with Kejriwal as AQI reaches 'hazardous' category

Delhi's air pollution crisis worsens, LG calls for urgent meeting with CM Kejriwal and environment minister Gopal Rai.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has expressed deep concern over the worsening air pollution situation in the city and has called for an urgent meeting with the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and minister of environment Gopal Rai. The meeting has been scheduled for 6:00pm today.

A view of the smog amid rising air pollution levels, in Noida, India, on Friday, November 03, 2023. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

"The situation arising out of air pollution in the City is extremely worrying. I have asked Hon'ble CM & Hon'ble Minister (Environment) for a meeting at Raj Niwas at 06:00 PM today, to take stock of the situation," the lieutenant governor said in a social media post on X.

The national capital has been grappling with deteriorating air quality in recent days, with levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter reaching hazardous levels, raising serious health concerns for the residents. The situation has been exacerbated by factors such as stubble burning in neighbouring states, vehicular emissions, and adverse weather conditions, which have resulted in poor air quality and visibility issues.

Enhanced anti-pollution curbs expected amid worsening air quality in Delhi

New Delhi again topped a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities compiled by Swiss group IQAir, which put the Indian capital's AQI at 640 in the "hazardous" category on Friday. A concentration of toxic PM2.5 particles, which are less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can cause deadly illness, was 53.4 times the World Health Organization's annual air quality guideline value in New Delhi on Friday, according to IQAir.

The pollution control panel on Thursday banned non-essential construction and demolition work in the national capital region as the AQI entered ‘severe’ category with no immediate relief in sight due to "highly unfavourable meteorological and climatic conditions”.

The air quality plummeted to the 'severe plus' category on Friday morning. This could prompt authorities to implement emergency measures under Stage 4 of the graded action response plan (GRAP), including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction.

GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI above 450).