Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday expressed “strong displeasure” at the steps taken by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to deal with the city's alarming air pollution and directed it to immediately explore the possibility of engaging an expert agency for remedial steps in tackling the situation.
The review meeting of increasing air pollution was held by Delhi Cabinet on Friday evening that took stock of air pollution situation in Delhi. The CM directed fresh presentation by DPCC on the prevailing situation on Monday and its action plan to tackle the situation. Also, the DPCC was directed to immediately explore the possibility of engaging expert agency to study the reasons and to recommend remedial steps to counter air pollution.
According to sources, officials of DPCC apprised the CM that high increased pollution is due to crop burning in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan and this has been shown at pictures taken by NASA. Officials blamed neighbouring States for air pollution in Delhi. The CM was not satisfied with the reply of environment department and DPCC.
According to sources, the CM was dissatisfied with measures being taken to check burning of garbage across the city. DPCC officials were directed to write to all agencies, including the Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi Police to take action against those found burning garbage in open.
In view of the heavy smog, municipal corporations on Friday ordered closure of about 1,700 schools run by them from Saturday.
The Capital is facing the worst smog in 17 years, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had said on Thursday, while asking the Delhi Government to issue health alerts and convey that children should stay indoors as there is a state of health emergency due to peaking air pollution.
Peak level of respirable pollutants PM 2.5 and PM10 had crossed the safe limits by over 15 times at places like R K Puram. The prescribed standard of PM2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre, but it touched 955 in real-time during early morning hours on Thursday.