Air pollution: Delhi to permit only CNG, electric, BS-VI buses from Nov 1

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday said that only CNG, electric and BS-VI buses will be allowed in the national capital from November 1. He added that all the buses in Delhi and CNG but the buses coming from neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are diesel, due to which pollution is increasing in Delhi. 

He added that Delhi's Transportation Department will check different entry points from November 1. Rai also urged the Central Government and state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan ban diesel buses in the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR). 

"The level of pollution has increased in the whole of North India... In Delhi and in the whole of North India, there is an increase in the level of PM2.5, and that of PM10 is decreasing in the pollution. All the buses in Delhi are CNG... But the buses coming from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and other adjoining areas are diesel, due to which pollution is increasing," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"People in Delhi have to suffer because of pollution in nearby areas... It is our demand from the Central government and governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh to ban diesel buses in the NCR," he further said. 

Gopal Rai's comments come as the air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas become hazardous, down from very poor, with the overall AQI in the national capital reaching 309 on Sunday morning. The AQI at Delhi Airport's T3 stood at 232, 341 at Delhi University and 362 at Dhirpur as of Sunday morning. Noida was way worse than Delhi with an AQI of 372. Meanwhile, Gurugram reported an AQI of 221. 

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

Rai on Saturday said that the number of stubble burning incidents recorded in neighbouring states so far is lesser than last year and the overall contribution of farm fires in Delhi's air pollution is likely to go down. He, however, added that pollution levels are expected to worsen in the coming days due to unfavourable weather conditions. 

Also Read: Delhi's air quality deteriorates further, AQI crosses 300 mark