Ban on diesel gensets, trucks entry, parking fee hike in Delhi
As the air quality turned “very poor” with the overall Average Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 301 micro grams per cubic (µgm-3), the Graded Action Rapid Programme (GRAP) will come into force on Tuesday to tackle air pollution in Delhi.
When the air quality turns “very poor”, GRAP measures include ban on diesel gensets and entry of trucks into the Capital, increase in bus and metro services, and hike in parking fees.
When it turns “severe”, GRAP recommends closure of brick kilns, stone crushers and hot mix plants, and prescribes sprinkling of water, frequent mechanised cleaning of roads and maximising power generation from natural gas.
The measures to be followed in “emergency” situation include ban on civil construction and introduction of the odd-even car rationing scheme.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said stricter measures under GRAP will come into force in Delhi-NCR on Tuesday as per Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority direction (EPCA).
“The odd-even scheme will come into force on November 4 and will last till November 15. Pollution levels in Delhi reduced slightly on Monday, a day after air quality in several parts of the city plunged to the ‘very poor’,” Kejriwal said.
Considering NCR as contributor to the rising pollutants in and around Delhi, the EPCA has asked neighbouring States to put a ban on the use of diesel generator sets.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is the nodal agency to implement the GRAP in Delhi region.
Centre run pollution monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) has put the AQI ‘Dark Red’ (highly noxious). Significantly, Dwarka Sector-18 recorded highest in Delhi-NCR with 315µgm-3.
Further, as road side dust is also contribute in increasing values of Particulate Matter 10, under the GRAP, there will be increase frequency of mechanized cleaning of road and sprinkling of water on roads. Identify roadstretches with high dust generation. This may be noted that Delhi Government has indentified 13 major hot spots where pollutant values remain higher than other areas of the city, RK Puram, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh are a few areas which are under the category of hot spot places in terms of air pollution.
Meanwhile , pollutants values at Mundaka 200, (µgm-3) Bawana- 190 (µgm-3), Dwarka Sector (8) -180 (µgm-3), Anand Vihar - 273 (µgm-3), R k Puram - 202. (µgm-3) recorded while overall AQI of Delhi was recorded at 252 µgm-3 .
However , while stubble burning is also rising in Haryna and Punjab, districts like — Karnal , Muzaffarnagar and Panipat recorded pollutant values at abnormally higher at 310, 310 and 305 (µgm-3)
SAFAR Center run pollution monitoring agency forecast further deterioration of air quality in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR).
Citing the rise in stubble burning incidents, SAFAR said that burning activity in Haryana, Panjab, and nearby border regions are moderate, but the cyclonic circulation developed over northwest Uttar Pradesh and neighborhood is going to impact the transport pathways and hence air quality is turned worsen.
The monitoring agencies also marked weather factor and said withdrawal is not good for air quality in North India as the time progresses towards winter. During the 4th week of October, the temperature will also start to cool.
“The anticyclone is expected to re-strengthen only by mid-fourth week and associated clear skies, and sinking motion will make the atmosphere very stable with calm surface winds,” SAFAR forecast. “Both will lead to stagnant weather conditions - low wind speeds, descending air, and compressed boundary layer, which favour rapid fine particulate matter formation and accumulation of pollutants, “The crisis deepens if it is encountered with any additional internal (like firecrackers) or external emissions (stubble burning) sources. In a landlocked city like Delhi, it may lead to rapid accumulation and may trigger high pollution events,” SAFAR added further in air quality forecast. Meanwhile, Haryana State Power authority has written to EPCA chairman Bhure lal for relaxation of the ban on the use of diesel generator sets for colonies and societies(residential and commercial) in Haryana.