Delhi air pollution hits emergency; ban on trucks, construction extended

With no improvement in the air quality of Delhi-NCR even four days after Diwali, the environment authority extended the ban on the entry of trucks, construction and polluting industries.

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Saturday, November 10, ordered the Delhi government to extend the ban which was imposed on November 2.

The restrictions imposed till November 10 were extended to November 12, by when there will be an improvement in the air quality of Delhi-NCR, as forecast by pollution monitoring agencies.

The restrictions were imposed by the EPCA under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Delhi's air quality started deteriorating a day after Diwali to "severe-plus" or "emergency" due to fireworks and weather conditions like wind speed and dipping mercury, leading to lower dispersion rate of pollutants. The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday was 401 or "severe".

"The CPCB-headed task force has informed EPCA that given the prevailing adverse conditions, the following measures will remain until November 12, when it will further review the situation and inform us," said EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal, in a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, the Delhi Environment Secretary and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

The measures include a ban on industries using coal and biomass, brick kilns, construction activities and entry of trucks into Delhi. The restrictions exclude power plants and waste to energy plants.

There has been a spike in the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. The air is predicted to worsen over the next two days as the winds have been bringing in particulates from the region where the farm fires have been raging.

“The concentration of PM 2.5 – the more harmful of the particulates – would remain in the severe or severe+ (emergency) category till November 11,” said an official who maintains the early warning system that can forecast pollution levels up to two days in advance.

An official at the Punjab pollution control board said in a Hindustan Times report that since Wednesday, at least 10,000 instances of farm fires were recorded — nearly a fourth of the roughly 40,700 instances seen this year.

A total of 48,000 fire incidents were reported in Punjab last year and the number was 78,000 in 2016. “At this rate, the total count might cross last year’s numbers,” said the official, asking not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Farm fires and emissions from firecrackers contributed heavily to the concentrations of PM2.5 particles in the air, leading to major health problems as they can enter the bloodstream after penetrating the lungs.

‘Emergency’ is the worst of five grades classifying pollution, followed in decreasing intensity by ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’.

The Union and state government in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana announced strict penalties on farmers who practised stubble burning as these farm fires are seen as the reason behind the high pollution levels at the beginning of winter. In Punjab, the pollution control official quoted above said that farmers are now resisting inspections.

“Most of the incidents are being reported from the Malwa districts where farmer unions are strong and are not allowing authorities to take action against violators. There have been more than 600 cases where field staff could not take action against violators following farmers’ opposition. On Friday, a Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) team was gheraoed in Bathinda,” said another official to the Hindustan Times.