Delhi-NCR air pollution: Centre rolls back ban on non-essential construction and demolition work
AQI of Delhi has improved from the level of 399 (nearing ‘severe’ category) observed on December 30, 2022 to 343 (‘very poor’ category) recorded on January 4, 2023
- Jan 4, 2023,
- Updated Jan 4, 2023 7:26 PM IST
The Centre's air quality panel on Wednesday decided to roll back ban imposed on non-essential construction and demolition work in Delhi with air quality in the national capital remaining in 'very poor' category and not slipping into 'severe' category.
While reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR and other aspects, the sub-committee for invoking actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) noted that forecasts by IMD do not indicate the overall AQI of Delhi slipping into ‘severe’ category in the coming days and is likely to stay in the ‘very poor’ category. "It is therefore felt that it is advisable to relax the stringent restrictions and roll back Stage-III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR," said Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in a statement.
AQI of Delhi has improved from the level of 399 (nearing ‘severe’ category) observed on December 30, 2022 to 343 (‘very poor’ category) recorded on January 4, 2023. "The preventive/ restrictive GRAP-III measures invoked on 30.12.2022 might have also helped the AQI levels not touch the ‘Severe’ category (AQI > 400) and forecast by IMD also does not predict the AQI levels reaching the ‘Severe’ category in the coming days," the ministry said.
Delhi's pollution causes illnesses such as asthma and other respiratory problems every winter as the heavy air does not let vehicular emissions, construction dust and farm-fire residues disperse easily.
Curbs under Stage III include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
The Centre's air quality panel on Wednesday decided to roll back ban imposed on non-essential construction and demolition work in Delhi with air quality in the national capital remaining in 'very poor' category and not slipping into 'severe' category.
While reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR and other aspects, the sub-committee for invoking actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) noted that forecasts by IMD do not indicate the overall AQI of Delhi slipping into ‘severe’ category in the coming days and is likely to stay in the ‘very poor’ category. "It is therefore felt that it is advisable to relax the stringent restrictions and roll back Stage-III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR," said Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in a statement.
AQI of Delhi has improved from the level of 399 (nearing ‘severe’ category) observed on December 30, 2022 to 343 (‘very poor’ category) recorded on January 4, 2023. "The preventive/ restrictive GRAP-III measures invoked on 30.12.2022 might have also helped the AQI levels not touch the ‘Severe’ category (AQI > 400) and forecast by IMD also does not predict the AQI levels reaching the ‘Severe’ category in the coming days," the ministry said.
Delhi's pollution causes illnesses such as asthma and other respiratory problems every winter as the heavy air does not let vehicular emissions, construction dust and farm-fire residues disperse easily.
Curbs under Stage III include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).