Delhi govt bans construction work, blames UP diesel buses for pollution

Gopal Rai chaired a high-level meeting to discuss measures to be implemented under stage III of GRAP.

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Sunday announced that the AAP government has decided to implement the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) order, imposing a ban on construction and demolition activities in the national capital.

A smart phone shows the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) from the CPCB. Pollution levels rose to the ‘severe’ category in the early hours of Saturday at Shadipur, (Sanchit Khanna/ HT photo )

"According to weather experts, the wind speed will be 4-5 kmph from November 1 and it is predicted that the air quality index (AQI) might cross 400 (severe). We had a meeting with all construction authorities - PWD, MCD, Railways, DDA - and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee today, and decided to implement the CAQM order," Rai said at a press conference.

Rai chaired a high-level meeting to discuss measures to be implemented under stage III of GRAP.

Rai also said to monitor the implementation, the government has formed a strong monitoring system. “It has set up 586 teams comprising officials of different departments,” he said.

These teams will monitor the implementation of the ban on construction and demolition activities.

Rai said the construction ban will not be applicable to projects concerning national security, defence, railways and metro rail among others.

Under stage III, the authorities have been asked to enforce a strict ban on construction and demolition activities in the NCR, except for essential projects and non-polluting activities such as plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration and electrical works.

The move is likely to affect housing projects in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and other areas. Mining activities will not be allowed in the region.

Blaming the diesel buses from Uttar Pradesh for increasing pollution in Delhi, Rai also requested the Yogi Adityanath administration to ply CNG buses in Delhi-NCR.

Delhi recorded its air quality in the 'very poor' category on Sunday morning and forecasters said slow wind speed and an increase in stubble burning, especially in Punjab, may push it to the 'severe' zone.

Delhi's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 367 at 9am. The 24-hour average AQI on Saturday was 397, the worst since January. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali).

Anand Vihar (AQI 468) was the most polluted place in the capital. Wazirpur (412), Vivek Vihar (423) and Jahangirpuri (407) were among the monitoring stations that recorded "severe" air quality.

SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Union ministry of earth sciences, said that the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution rose to 21 per cent on Saturday, the highest this year so far.

It may increase up to 40 per cent on Sunday and push the air quality into the severe zone, Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR said.

It classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different 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 >450).

(With inputs from PTI)