As the air quality index in Delhi continues to be “severe” for the past three days, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday appealed to the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to take steps to divert trucks carrying non-essential goods to peripheral expressways to avoid traffic jams at Delhi’s borders.
“Stage IV of GRAP has already been invoked with immediate effect from November 3... Mandating the NCR and Delhi authorities to ensure that trucks carrying non-essential items should not be allowed to enter Delhi till further date as deemed necessary,” Rai said in a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The Noida Traffic Police, for its part, announced restrictions on the entry of certain vehicles, including private ones, into Delhi from its borders.
While the restrictions on selected category of vehicles will be from DND, Chilla Border and Kalindi Kunj sides, they will be provided a diverted route for going to their destinations, according to an advisory.
According to the advisory, the entry of BS-3 (petrol) and BS-4 (diesel) light four-wheeler vehicles to Delhi via Noida will remain restricted from DND, Chilla Border and Kalindi Kunj routes. “All trucks except those providing essential goods or services or those running on CNG or electric power are prohibited from entering Delhi via Noida,” the advisory stated.
“Entry for diesel-operated medium goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles except those engaged in essential goods and services is prohibited,” it added. The traffic advisory stated that all these vehicles can instead use the Yamuna Expressway or the Eastern Peripheral Expressway via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to reach their destination as alternative routes.
“In case of traffic inconvenience, you can contact the traffic helpline number 9971009001,” the Noida Traffic police said.
“It is necessary that the transport and traffic authorities of your State also take steps/measures to divert such non-essential trucks to eastern/western peripheral expressway or any other alternate route beyond the NCR limit to avoid congestion and traffic jams at the borders shared with Delhi. Necessary cooperation is solicited from your respective state in this regard,” Rai said.
Alarmed by hazardous pollution levels and health warnings, the Delhi Government on Friday announced the closure of primary schools from Saturday and that 50 per cent of its staff will work from home. It also advised private offices to follow suit and imposed a `20,000 fine on the use of private diesel vehicles not conforming to the new BS-VI emissions standards, as the air continued to grapple with hazardous levels.
With pollution levels in the national Capital worsening, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had on Thursday banned the entry of trucks other than electric and CNG ones into Delhi. Those carrying essential commodities are exempted.
A thick layer of smog continued to cover Delhi on Saturday as the overall air quality remained in the “severe” category at 408. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, 24 of the 37 monitoring stations recorded the AQI in the “severe” category around 11 am. However, some areas where the AQI improved slightly from “severe” to “very poor” category were Anand Vihar (394), Mathura Road (381), Dilshad Garden (278), ITO (396), Lodhi Road (371), Punjabi Bagh (357) and Pusa (385). According to the CPCB data, the AQI continued to remain in the “very poor” category in Ghaziabad (350), Noida (369), Greater Noida (333), Gurugram (356) and Faridabad (350).
Four out of every five families in Delhi-NCR have claimed to have experienced pollution-related ailments in the last few weeks, according to a survey conducted by LocalCircles.