Maintaining that stubble burning continued in Delhi’s neighbouring States, the Centre on Tuesday called for a focused action and directed Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to deploy more monitoring teams on the field.
The directions came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to assess the air quality in Delhi and Northern India areas hovering in the “severe” and “very poor” categories.
“PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting in which the situation arising due to pollution in various parts of northern India was discussed,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted. The Prime Minister also reviewed the situation arising due to cyclone conditions in parts of western India.
The meet on pollution comes after back-to-back review meetings held by PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, with top officials of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana on Sunday and Monday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s air quality index dropped from 365 at 9.45 am to 331 at 3.45 pm on Tuesday.
Later, Prime Minister’s Office in statement said that Union Cabinet Secretary reviewed the progress made in arrangements to control air pollution in National Capital Region.
“It was observed that cases of crop stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana still continue and there is a need for more focused action. These States have been directed that more monitoring teams should be deployed on the field to ensure that violators are taken to task by imposing suitable penalties. The States have also been directed to ensure that they are fully prepared for meeting any exigency in future,” said the statement.
The National Capital Region, Greater Noida (348), Noida (358), Ghaziabad (351), Faridabad (311) and Gurgaon (328) also recorded improvement in air quality.
The Prime Minister’s review of preparedness for cyclone ‘Maha’ comes a day after the National Crisis Management Committee, the apex body to respond to emergency situations, reviewed preparedness in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Daman and Diu ahead of the cyclone’s landfall between Dwarka and Diu on November 6 night.
The district authorities have been put on alert and all fishing activities have been suspended. The Daman and Diu administration also apprised the committee of their preparedness and evacuation plans.