Delhi Air Pollution: Pollution levels rise in NCR, air quality in Delhi at eight-month low

Due to burning of straw in Haryana and Punjab, air pollution is increasing in the areas of Delhi and NCR. Because of this, the air quality has reached the lowest level of eight months. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 300 on Tuesday, which is in poor category. The reason for this is being attributed to the reduced wind speed. Apart from this, incidents of stubble burning are also taking place in Punjab and Haryana, whose effect is also visible in Delhi.

Now if there is a slight increase in the level of pollution, then the air quality will reach a very poor category. The air index reached 306 at 11 am, which is in a very poor category. Thereafter, the pollution level improved slightly. Nevertheless, the average 24-hour AQI of 300 was recorded, while it was 261 on Monday, 216 on Sunday and 221 on Saturday. The air quality in Dwarka Sector-8 was the worst. There were AQI 390, 372 in Wazirpur and 352 in Mundka.

At the same time, the Union Environment Ministry has rejected the claims of the Delhi Government regarding pollution. The Union Environment Ministry released its stand in response to the allegations leveled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on press conference on Tuesday. The Ministry said that the Center has taken effective steps to reduce air pollution. The environment ministry said on Tuesday that Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia blamed the central government for its inaction on the issue. The ministry said that the central government believes in working to end pollution. The government has taken several anti-air pollution initiatives in the last six years.

The ministry said that with the construction of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, sixty thousand trucks no longer enter Delhi. This is a major step of the Central Government. This has brought great relief in terms of pollution. The center has closed the Badarpur thermal plot. To prevent the Punjab and Haryana government from burning the stubble, farmers have been given Rs 1400 crore to buy modern machines. This has reduced pollution by 15 to 20 percent. New technology has been developed for NCR’s 2800 brick-kilns, which will reduce air pollution.

Three power-generating power plants are generating 57 MW of electricity in the capital Delhi. Vehicles and fuel have been brought in line with the VS-6 standard with an investment of Rs 65000 crore. This has reduced the pollution of vehicles to a great extent. NCR’s 2600 industries have been converted to PNG fuel. Dust pollution was reduced by construction waste management for the first time in 2016. Three factories manufacture roadside tiles from construction waste. Water spraying vehicles have been provided by the DDA to suppress dust on a large scale.

All the petrol and diesel retail outlets in the NCR have a system to reduce pollution. A number of meetings have been held with the environment ministers and key officials of NCR states, beginning the cabinet secretary meeting in March.