Delhites woke up to a thick layer of smog blanketing the national Capital on Tuesday as the overall air quality of Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category. The average air quality index of Delhi was recorded at 365 at 9 am which rose to 378 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. AQI in Pusa was recorded at 497, in Satyawati College at 478, in Anand Vihar at 440, in Punjabi Bagh at 404, in Delhi Institute of Too Engineering at 401,in Jahangirpuri at 433, in Shahdara at 402, in East Patel Nagar at 382, in Kohat Enclave at 366, in Lodhi Road at 315, in New Moti Bagh at 370.
NCR regions including Ghaziabad (321), Gurugram (261), Greater Noida (318), Noida (331) and Faridabad (329) also recorded a dip in air quality.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the action taken by authorities to control air pollution, the National Green Tribunal had directed them to “take all possible measures to ensure that the quality of air improves in Delhi”.
The tribunal, while taking suo motu (on its own) cognisance about a media report regarding the worsening air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), directed the filing of further action taken report within a week.
“It is difficult to accept the stand of different authorities that they taking all possible measures to control air pollution and improve the quality of air because the air quality index of Delhi does not indicate any significant improvement,” it said on Monday.
The NGT observed that considering the health of the citizens of the national capital, the authorities concerned are expected to take the best possible measures to improve the air quality.
In the last hearing on November 9, it had sought a fresh action taken report from the authorities, including the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Commission for Air Quality Management for NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).