Curbs imposed to tackle Delhi’s ‘severe’ pollution: What’s banned, what’s not?

The air quality of National Capital and its surrounding areas plummeted into the "severe plus" category on Friday, prompting Delhi to declare a state of emergency.As per aqi.in, "The current PM2.5 concentration in New Delhi is 23.3 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO 24 hours air quality guidelines value."The air quality further is expected to worsen during the next two weeks, scientists and experts believe.In response to the increasing levels of pollution, Delhi-NCR has announced all emergency measures, such as a ban on all forms of construction and polluting vehicles.According to a policy document created by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body tasked with developing strategies to combat pollution, these actions, which make up the final phase of the Centre's air pollution control plan, should ideally be initiated at least three days before the AQI in the Capital exceeds the 450 mark.Delhi AQI nosedives, visibility dropsIndira Gandhi International Airport recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 473; Dwarka Sector 8 recorded an AQI of 480; ITO recorded an AQI of 433; Lodhi Road recorded 438; RK Puram recorded 486; and Anand Vihar recorded over 500.Noida sector 62 reported 438 AQI, while Noida sector 125 recorded 400 AQI, according to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).307 AQI and NISE Gwal Pahari were observed in Gurugram sector 51, according to data from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).For those unversed, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe and above 500, it is hazardous.A spike in farm fires and poor weather caused the smoky haze enveloping the National Capital to deepen, prompting health professionals to warn that respiratory conditions could worsen. At the Safdarjung Observatory, visibility was estimated to be as low as 500 metres at 7 am by an officer of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, as the day progressed and the temperature rose, visibility progressively improved to 800 metres.The sudden decline in air quality, according to multiple experts, is the result of an increase in stubble burning and unfavourable weather patterns.Steps taken by Delhi-NCR authoritiesThe Gurugram District Magistrate issued an order under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1973 to curb air pollution in Gurugram due to the decreasing quality of the city's air, according to News18.Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal declared on Thursday that all government and private schools in the National Capital would be closed for two days. Taking to X, he said, “In light of the rising pollution levels, all govt and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 2 days.”In order to prevent disruptions to learning, Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) Shelly Oberoi asked the education department to make sure that students have access to online courses. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai will preside over a meeting of all departments today to discuss the implementation of Graded Action Response Plan-III (GRAP) and rising air pollution levels.The Delhi government has also started a special electric bus shuttle service for state and central government employees.Starting today, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will also add an additional 20 trips to its network. According to the DMRC, Delhi Metro began operating 40 more train rides on weekdays (Monday through Friday) on 25 October, the day the GRAP-II stage took effect. “Thus, from tomorrow, DMRC will be running a total of 60 additional trips as part of its measures taken under GRAP to encourage more and more people to use public transport in Delhi-NCR,” it said.The CAQM made the decision to immediately implement an eight-point plan in accordance with Stage-III of GRAP over the whole NCR.The plan calls for increasing the frequency of mechanised or vacuum-based road sweeping, daily water sprinkling on roads and right-of-ways, including hotspots and heavily trafficked corridors, before peak traffic hours, and making sure that the collected dust is properly disposed of in designated sites/landfills.In addition, it also calls for intense public transport, differential pricing to promote off-peak travel, and stringent prohibitions on the operation of four-wheeled LMVs (BS III petrol and BS IV diesel) in Delhi, as well as in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar. Offenders will be subject to a Rs 20,000 fine.The banned activities

• Construction and demolition activities throughout the entire NCR, except for specific categories of projects, such as railway services and stations, metro rail services and stations, airports, inter-state bus terminals, national security and defence-related projects, hospitals, linear public projects, sanitation projects, and ancillary activities, as per News18.
• Burning waste materials like garbage, leaves, plastic, and rubber, is strictly prohibited in all areas of Gurugram.
• Earthwork for excavation and filling including boring and drilling works.
• All structural construction works including fabrication and welding operations.
• Demolition works.
• Loading and unloading of construction materials anywhere within or outside the project sites.
• Transfer of raw materials either manually or through conveyor belts, including fly ash.
• Polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers.
• Movement of vehicles on unpaved roads.
• Operation of batching plant.
• Laying of sewer line, waterline, drainage work and electric cabling by open trench system.
• Cutting and fixing of tiles, stones, and other flooring materials.
• Grinding activities.
• Piling work.
• Waterproofing work.
• Painting, polishing and varnishing works, etc.
• Road construction/repair works including paving of sidewalks/pathways and central verges, etc.

With inputs from agencies