CAQM may ease construction curbs for NCR

Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) returned to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, with the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily 4 pm bulletin recording a reading of 291.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Sunday said it could announce lifting of some more restrictions in the construction sector on Monday, following an improvement in air quality across NCR over the last three days.

Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) returned to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, with the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily 4 pm bulletin recording a reading of 291. (Raj K Raj/HT photo)

Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) returned to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, with the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily 4 pm bulletin recording a reading of 291. It improved even further on Sunday, dropping down to a reading of 271 (poor) at 4 pm. In comparison, Delhi’s AQI was 368 (very poor) on Thursday and 329 (very poor) on Friday – the day the CAQM announced for the ban on construction activities to continue across NCR.

However, in its order, the Commission had announced for some more exemptions to be added to the existing lift of exemptions in the construction sector. These included exemptions for hospitals, nursing homes and healthcare facilities; linear public projects such as highways, roads and flyover and sanitation and public utility projects such as sewage treatment plants and water pumping stations.

“In view of the significant improvement in air quality in NCR over last three days, a decision to further liberalise restrictions in the construction sector could be taken as early as Monday,” said the central air quality panel in a statement on Sunday.