‘Need to strictly enforce laws to minimise air pollution’: Air quality management panel

There was also a need to encourage coal-using industries in the National Capital Region (NCR) to minimise the use of coal in the upcoming months, CAQM said.

As Delhi’s air quality remained “severe” for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said there was an immediate need to strictly enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as minimising the use of personal transport and restricting unnecessary travel to minimise pollution.

Delhi’s air quality remained “severe” for the fifth consecutive day on Monday (AP Photo)

“We need to strictly enforce existing laws, guidelines, SOPs to minimize air pollution on an emergency basis and minimise the use of personal transport and restrict travel unless absolutely necessary,” the commission said, according to news agency PTI.

There was also a need to encourage coal-using industries in the National Capital Region (NCR) to minimise the use of coal in the upcoming months, it added.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in an attempt to stop the region’s air quality from falling further, has imposed a total ban on the sale or use of firecrackers in the NCR from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight. “Celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases,” NGT said in its order that came days before Diwali, the festival of light.

Meanwhile, VK Soni, the head of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD’s) environment research centre, ruled out the chance of a major improvement in Delhi and the National Capital Region’s (NCR’s) air quality in the coming days. “The air quality is likely to be recorded in the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category on Diwali if we discount firecrackers emissions. If people burst crackers, pollution levels can increase to ‘severe’ to ‘severe plus’ category (emergency),” Soni said.

The ordinance of the central government to set up CAQM, replacing the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or Epca, as the primary body responsible for addressing the air pollution crisis, came into effect last month.

(with agency inputs)