Govt shuts schools for three days, bans construction & demolition works for 5 days, closes Badarpur Thermal Power Plant for 10 days
As Delhi remains blanketed with thick layer of toxic air due to the worst smog in 17 years, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday held an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the city’s deteriorating air quality level.
The CM announced a slew of measures, including shutting up of all schools for three days, stopping all construction and demolition works for five days, and requested Delhiites to work from home whenever possible or to stay indoor as much as they can.
Also, Kejriwal said the return of odd-even was possible to keep pollutants in check. The AAP Government has asked Chief Secretary KK Sharma and Secretary (Environment) Chandrakar Bharti to discuss with the Central Government the possibilities of artificial
rain over Delhi so as to settle down the dust.
Addressing a Press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Kejriwal said schools (both Government and private) will be shut down for three days. There are 3,700 schools in Delhi, including both aided and unaided ones. The figure also includes 1,700 primary schools run by the three municipal corporations.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate Ghaziabad Nidhi Kesrwani on Sunday ordered that classes up to 2nd standard will remain closed till Tuesday. The DM’s order came after she held a review meeting with district officials in view of the alarming air quality in the NCR. Gautam Budh Nagar DM NP Singh too held an emergency meeting on Sunday and ordered closure of classes up to 2nd standard for two days. Students of other classes have been told that the school will function between 9 am and 1 pm.
“All construction and demolition works will be shut down for the next five days. No diesel generators to be used for the next 10 days, except in hospital and emergency places,” said Kejriwal. It is to be noted that except big projects of Government and private sector, lots of ongoing constructions in 1,900 unauthorised colonies in Delhi need to be stopped, said sources.
“Water sprinkling on roads of 100-feet and above is to begin on Monday and should be done by the PWD at least once a week. Transportation of fly ash from Badarpur Thermal Power Plant has been prohibited for 10 days. Water to be sprinkled on fly ash dump at the Badarpur Plant to stop the ash from spreading in the air,” said Kejriwal.
“Strict enforcement of prohibition on burning of leaves/waste, officers to be held accountable for any lapses in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Vacuum cleaning of roads to start from November 10,” the CM said.
Kejriwal also stated that civic agencies be directed to ensure that fires emanating from landfill sites are immediately stopped. “Concerned departments directed to start making preparations for even odd scheme,” Kejriwal said.
The CM said advisories to be issued by health and environment departments. He said that environment department should launch an app immediately to enable the public to report cases of leave and garbage burning.
“Emergency measures are the need of the hour. Instead of politicising the pollution issue, we need to solve it together,” Kejriwal said.
Remaining resolute on his stand that crop burning in the neighbouring States was responsible for the ever-increasing pollution level in Delhi, the CM said no immediate relief could be expected as stubble burning continued.
Calling Delhi a “gas chamber,” the CM has said on Saturday the Centre needs to intervene to help control the smog that has enveloped the city since Diwali. He met Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave to discuss the issue. After meeting with Kejriwal , the Union Environment Minister acknowledged and termed it as an “emergency situation”.
Saturday witnessed the worst air pollution of the season -- breaching the safe limit by over 17 times at several places. Around 1,800 municipal schools were shut on Saturday.
Over the last two years, the Delhi Government has tried a slew of measures to control air pollution, including the odd-even road rationing scheme, stricter emission norms for cars and tax on diesel-fueled trucks that enter the city.
However, earlier in the day Dave criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi Government for accusing neighbouring States over the rising levels of pollution in the national Capital.