The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) on Thursday withdrew the ban on construction activities, entry of trucks and enhanced parking fees from across Delhi-NCR as air quality remained out of the ‘emergency’ category for the second straight day.
The measures, part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), were enforced on November 8 after pollution levels had spiked, hitting the emergency category, accompanied by thick smog.
However, the National Green Tribunal on Thursday directed the Delhi Government to submit data of ambient air quality in the national Capital and said it would consider its ban on construction and industrial activity in the National Capital Region (NCR) on that basis. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that it would take up the matter on Friday and till then its order would be in force. Some of the lawyers, appearing for builders and industries, requested the NGT to lift its ban on the ground that air quality in the NCR had improved. The bench refused to pass any order, saying there was no urgency and no builder would be starting construction activity tonight.
EPCA chairperson Bhure lal wrote to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana this morning, directing them that the measures be lifted with “immediate effect” as the prevailing air quality does not warrant such tough action.
However, measures enforced under the GRAP’s ‘severe’ category, including the closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant, ban on brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers will remain, the EPCA said.
“We are watching the situation very carefully and we have been informed by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology that pollution may rise again because of increased moisture in the air in the coming days.
“However, if the conditions continue to improve and air quality stabilises, we will review the measures under the ‘Severe’ category and inform you accordingly,” Bhure lal, EPCA chairman wrote.
Meanwhile, National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAAQI) has marked Delhi air quality relatively “good”. With lower pollutant values in Capital air, the SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research ) , a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has tagged air quality under the status of “Very Poor”, however , it was “Severe” earlier.
The State-owned pollution agency, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) also recorded low values of Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and 2.5 at various places in Capital region.
During the evening hours, the concentration of PM 10 was recorded at Punjabi Bagh area was 323 micro cubic per gram (µg/m3) whereas PM 2.5 was 158 µg/m3. SAFAR, National air quality index also measured values of both the Particulte Matters (10, 25) at 299 and 184 in µg/m3.
According to environment experts, wind speed and favourable weather are the reasons for low concentration of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in capital’s air. As per the DPCC’s meteorological (MeT) observations, the wind speed was recorded at 13 KM per hour.
SAFAR in its three days pollution forecast mentioned that values of both the particles will escalate.