Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Air Pollution Causing More Harm Than Tobacco Smoke: Ex-AIIMS Director

Air pollution in India’s national capital and NCR region has been affecting the organs of the people, said former Director of AIIMS, Delhi Dr Randeep Guleria.

Dr Guleria, who is also HOD of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and sleep disorders while speaking to ANI said, “it is causing more disability than even tobacco smoke. We talk a lot about smoking, but not about using tobacco. But now the burden of disability has shifted more towards air pollution and even that is causing a big problem than as compared to smoking.”
“So unfortunately the AQI is at severe range and we’ve seen that every year. There have been times when it went up to 900 in the last few years. The concern of course, is that it has a huge health impact. A paper published in 2017, suggested that in India every year, more than 1.24 million people die because of air pollution. So it’s huge mortality that we see it causes huge disability. Many people have a problem,” Dr Guleria further explained.

With the rise in air pollution people with asthmatic or bronchitis problems even shift to coastal areas to protect themselves from pollution. Dr Guleria said, “Many of our patients leave Delhi and go to the south or to the coastal areas, because they have worsening of the underlying COPD and asthma, if they stay in Delhi and have to be on oxygen or have to come repeatedly to the emergency.”

“The studies that we have been doing over the last few years have also shown that in children and adults, if you start looking at emergency room visits, there is a dramatic increase in emergency room visits for respiratory problems on day one and continuing for six days whenever AQI is in the poor or very poor or severe range in that area. So I think we have to understand that air pollution causes acute problems. It’s also causing long-term problems,” he said.

The doctor further added that there is data which suggests that heart disease strokes, low respiratory infections, COPD, or air pollution is causing more disability than even tobacco smoke.

Dr Guleria further emphasised that some practical solution is required. “So I think there is a need for everyone, policymakers, scientists, general public to come together to find a sustainable practical solution to the problem,” he said.

He further advised children and the elderly population as a precaution to avoid going outside, exercise and must wear an N95 mask.

“Children and elderly are at high risk of those who have underlying heart and lung disease, we usually advise that they should not go out in areas where AQI is high, we are able to monitor an AQI now in all areas, so they should look at the quality index in that area and avoid going out early in the morning or late in the evening because there tends to be more ground level pollution during this time,” he said.

Dr Guleria further added that when the sun is out and it’s a little hot because of the hot air, the pollution tends to rise up and if you have to go, you can go out during that time. One should wear a mask, especially an N95 mask that does help to some extent it’s not 100 per cent solution, but that can also be done and during times when there are high levels of air pollution exercise outside could also be avoided.” (ANI)

Stubble burning Punjab incident

Punjab: Uptick In Stubble-Burning Incidents; 24,000 Reported So Far

Stubble burning continued unabated in Punjab with the state reporting nearly 24,000 such cases so far, an official said on Friday.

The incidents of stubble burning have seen a rise in parts of Punjab this year in comparison to last year. However, the area of fields burnt has witnessed a drop of 1 percent so far.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Senior Environmental Engineer of Punjab Pollution Control Board, Gurbakhshish Singh Gill said that 1,144 incidents of stubble burning have taken place in the state till Thursday and 24,146 such incidents in Punjab.

“We are working in coordination with the government. Efforts are on. Farmers are being sensitised. Our teams are monitoring the situation. We are hopeful of the situation is in our control this time,” he said earlier on Thursday.

He attributed various factors to the deterioration in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

“There are various factors responsible for the deteriorating AQI. Stubble burning is one of them, other is Diwali, transportation, and other atmospheric conditions,” he said.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda, Showkat Ahmad Parray said,

“Nearly 1,200 incidents have been reported till now. Last year, it was nearly 900 which has increased this time. But the data that comes to us is not right in itself because there is some period during which the satellite does not capture the incidents. So if there is stubble burning taking place during that period, such incidents are not reported to us,” he said.

He said that a better way to evaluate the stubble burning is to check the area burnt, adding that the number of incidents is “not a right criterion”.

“A better way to evaluate is to see how much area is burnt. We get a separate report of the area burnt. We study it. We do not consider the number of incidents much important. The number of incidents is not the right criterion, so we focus on the area. Last year, nearly 4.5 percent of the area was burnt till this time, this year it is 3.5 percent. Last year, a total of nearly 50 to 55 percent of the area was burnt, we expect a fall of at least 10 percent in it,” he added.

Pollution has risen in Delhi where the AQI remained in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. Stubble burning has contributed to 34 percent of Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution.

On Friday morning the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city jumped to 472. Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 562, and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 539 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe. (ANI)

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Air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

SC To Hear On Nov 10 Plea On Worsening Air Pollution In Delhi-NCR

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 10 a plea seeking measures to curb worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

A bench of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Bela M Trivedi posted the case for hearing on November 10 after an advocate mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.
Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, who filed the plea, told the bench that stubble burning has increased in Punjab.

“Parali burning has increased in Punjab. Even normal people can’t walk in such a situation,” Jha argued.

The plea sought direction to summon Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and directed them to personally take responsibility for no case of stubble burning anywhere.

It sought direction for issuing fresh guidelines to all the States with respect to stubble burning. The plea asked to issue guidelines to each and every State to take necessary measures in order to reduce pollution including the installation of smog towers, plantation drives, affordable public transport, etc.

“Public at large is forced to inhale polluted air and the oxygen filled with smog. Despite the clear orders of this Court to stop stubble burning and construction causing air pollution, there is rampant pollution in the National Capital Territory and other places making it difficult for people to survive,” said the plea adding that the situation is directly against the Right to life of people at large.

The petition said the AQI level on November 3 has been between 440 to 460 across Delhi which as per various sources “affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases”.

An AQI of 400 or higher is considered “severe,” and it can affect both healthy people and those who already have illnesses, it said.

It sought direction for appointing a high-level committee under the chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court judge to tackle the air-pollution crisis due to stubble burning.

The plea further urged that the schools, colleges, government, and private offices go virtual/online in order to protect the life of people at large.

The advocate said that the pollution is caused because states like Punjab have failed to provide an alternative to the farmers against stubble burning.to control pollution. (ANI)

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Delhi: Primary Schools Shuts

Delhi: Primary Schools Shut Till Pollution Improves

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that primary schools in Delhi will be shut from tomorrow till the pollution situation improves.

“We’re taking all steps to control the pollution situation. In lieu of that, we’re shutting down all primary schools in Delhi from tomorrow… Also shutting down outdoor activities for all classes above class 5,” CM Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal was addressing a press conference here with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann.

“We’re also mulling whether the odd-even scheme for vehicles should be implemented,” Kejriwal said.

The Delhi chief minister also said that now was “not the time for blame game and finger pointing”.

Air Quality in the national capital continued to remain in the “severe” category on Friday, the second straight day.

Meanwhile the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a plea in connection with the Delhi air pollution.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has convened a high-level meeting today to discuss the implementation of curbs on polluting activities under the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to shut schools till air quality in the capital improves.

The SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) Friday revealed that the stubble-burning contributed 34 percent to Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution.

The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category on Friday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city jumped to 472. Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 562 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 539 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe. (ANI)

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AQI Delhi

Delhi Wakes Up To Thick Smog, AQI Dips To Severe

Delhiites woke up on Thursday to a thick envelope of smog as air quality in the national capital and in adjoining regions, dipped into severe category again.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital at 8 am was at 364 (in the ‘Very Poor’ category) and at 7 am the recorded AQI stood at 408 (‘Severe’). Unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spikes in farm fire incidents are attributed to the dip in air quality.
An AQI between 401 and 500 is categorized as severe.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 393, in the ‘very poor category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 318 and continued to remain in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

An AQI range between 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is termed moderate and from 200 to 300 it is poor. AQI ranging from 300 to 400 is said to be very poor.

North Delhi Air Quality recorded the poorest as almost all the stations in the region displayed AQI above 400.

Most of the stations in the capital have an AQI above 300 with the exceptions of a few like Mandir Marg in central Delhi.

According to data by SAFAR, Dhirpur in Model Town plunged to an AQI of the 457-a level at which even healthy people can fall ill.

The AQI near IGI Airport (T3) also stood in the ‘Very Poor’ category today at 346. On Wednesday, the AQI in the area was recorded at 350.

With air pollution worsening in the national capital, Delhi authorities halted all construction work and demolition activities till further orders.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has urged the Delhi government to shut schools till air quality improves. (ANI)

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Delhi Air Quality

Delhi Govt Shifts Blame On People Over Worsening Air Quality

“People” of Delhi are responsible for the bad air quality of the national capital, said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday.

“I appeal to people if possible work from home and avoid taking out private vehicles. 50% of the pollution is from vehicles. People shouldn’t burst crackers,” Rai told reporters here.
The air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘very poor category on Wednesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 354.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 406 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 346 and continued to stay in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

The deteriorating air quality in the Delhi NCR region remains a problem around this time of the year. It also becomes a contentious issue with various state governments blaming each other for what has now become an annual problem.

The burning of agricultural waste in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, according to analysts, is one of the primary reasons for the rising air pollution in the region.

“Stubble burning in Punjab is happening due to Centre as they didn’t support Punjab govt, farmers to stop it” added Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister in the AAP-led Delhi government.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

“I request the UP and Haryana governments to form a regional special task force to reduce air pollution in areas adjoining Delhi like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida. The pollution problem is not the state’s problem. It happens due to the air system that develops” Rai said while urging the governments of BJP-led governments of the states adjoining Delhi.

Meanwhile, last week, Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas intensified efforts to ensure enforcement and compliance with its directions after the air quality of the national capital plunged to the “severe” category on Friday.

Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha told ANI that severe category AQI is very dangerous for health and it affects even healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

“In such circumstances, the school should be closed and outdoor movement should be prohibited because severe category AQI impacts all aspects of life,” Jha said.

As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the commission has been informing and sensitizing all stakeholders (industrial houses, commercial establishments, construction agencies, State Govt/ GNCTD agencies, ULBs in NCR, and the public at large) about the preventive, mitigative and restrictive actions required to be taken under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Stage-I and Stage II of the revised GRAP were invoked by the Commission on October 5 and October 19 respectively.

“Besides GRAP and a comprehensive “Policy to curb air pollution in NCR”, various statutory directions, advisories and orders including have been issued by the Commission from time to time for appropriate measures by various agencies concerned,” the Ministry had said in a statement. (ANI)

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Kejriwal To Give Rs 5000 Monthly To Workers Affected Due To Construction Ban

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the labour minister of the national capital Manish Sisodia to grant monthly financial assistance to each construction worker who has been affected because of paused construction activities.

“Construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of pollution. I have directed Labour Minister, Sh Manish Sisodia, to give Rs 5000 pm as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Previously, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas on October 30 (Saturday) had imposed a ban on activities related to construction work in the wake of the deteriorating air quality of the National Capital Region.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee had decided to implement Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR in a move to prevent any further deterioration of air quality on Saturday.

The air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 354.

Noida, which is a part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 406, and remained in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 346 and at the ‘very poor category, as per the data released by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) India earlier this morning.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 too 500 or above it is considered as severe.

A little less poor air quality in Delhi’s satellite cities gave some respite to the people, but it is only a relative term from the previous day.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters during Saturday’s emergency meeting of CAQM, the Commission noted that due to unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents, it is considered necessary to implement Stage III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR.

The CAQM further noted that the winds are forecasted to be CALM in the coming days and the wind direction is likely to change course frequently. Thus, there is a high likelihood of the pollutants getting trapped in the region and not getting dispersed effectively.

Further, the CAQM appealed to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter under GARP. Apart from that, a 9-point action plan as per Stage III of GRAP was made applicable in the entire NCR.

The 9-point action plan includes steps to be implemented/ ensured by different agencies and Pollution Control Boards of NCR and DPCC, as per the official statement. (ANI)

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Air Pollution In Delhi

Air Pollution In Delhi Reaches Alarming Level

The pollution in and around Delhi has reached an alarming level as the air quality index (AQI) has been recorded as very poor on Wednesday.

According to the Meteorological Department, the AQI in Delhi today was recorded at 354 which falls under the category of very poor.
As per the parameters set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the AQI category from 301 to 400 are considered very poor and from 401 to 500 severe.

Further, as per the information provided by the air quality data agency ‘SAFAR’, the AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded in the severe category at 406 today, followed by ITO 382 and Akshardham 363.

A student Rameshwari from ITO has demanded to implement ‘odd-even’ norms for vehicles to improve the air quality in the national capital.

Rameshwari said “I am very much concerned to breathe in Delhi nowadays. Vehicular pollution and stubble burning have made Delhi’s air toxic, affecting both the rich and the poor.”

The people of Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) have been breathing in the toxic air since a few days before Diwali as the smog hit the area about a fortnight ago.

“We face the same thing in the winter every year. This time crackers were sold in black and were burst in plenty. Now the toxic air is affecting everyone, especially the aged persons”, said Rajkumar, who works at Gulab Bhavan, ITO.

Rinki Yadav, who came to Nehru Park for a walk, said “I am feeling irritation in my eyes. My children also feel uneasiness in breathing due to pollution. Both the Central and Delhi governments should make a concrete policy to curb pollution. For the time being, they should at least spray water on the streets to do away with the dust particles in the air.”

A Rajouri Garden resident Kamaldeep Singh, who came for a morning walk in Nehru Park, also expressed his concern over the deteriorated air quality in the national capital.

Kamaldeep Singh said “I am feeling sore in my throat and acute irritation in my eyes. Kids and aged people nowadays are avoiding going on walks due to severe air pollution. Government should spray water on the streets and stop all construction works in Delhi to improve the air quality a bit.” (ANI)

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respiratory Problems Due To Smog

8 Out Of 10 Kids Facing Respiratory Problems Due To Smog

The poor air quality in the national capital and NCR region is affecting children badly and almost eight out of ten children in the hospital are coming up with respiratory problems, says an expert.

The air quality continues to remain very poor category with AQI recorded at 385 on Tuesday morning.
According to Dr. Anamika Dubey, Senior Consultant Pediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, “In this season, many children come to the OPD, I think 8 out of 10 patients are coming with complaints of cold, cough and increasingly breathing issues, cough increases more at night and distress. Moreover, small children are not able to express themselves they are not able to say that they are having a problem but it’s giving them a lot of problems.”

R Dubey said that pollution increases the number of poisonous gases and particulate matter they do affect the lungs of babies and children.

“Normally, the smaller children would start with flu-like symptoms, they will have a cold cough. And in some patients, it increases to a point where they are like they face difficulty in breathing. We have to actually admit them and put them on medicines and nebulizers. So, that they can breathe properly. These are all harmful gases, they do have an effect on the breathing of the child and the conditions of the lungs,” she said.

She further recommended wearing masks and washing hands frequently as a precaution.

“It is very difficult to tell children to wear a mask every day and keep a distance from the child who’s having a cold. We cannot say children that don’t go to school, otherwise most of the time they will be sitting at home.”

Dr. Dubey said that the only way to protect a child is to keep washing their hands with clean water.

“During air pollution, the problem increases for those children who are asthmatic or have bronchitis. The problem that many times increases for the child who is always been more allergic and they have a tendency to precipitate more severe bronchitis kind of situation. They do have more problems as compared to others,” Dr. Dubey added.

She said that mild patients are treated at home and moderate to severe patients in the hospital.

“We categorize the patients in terms of mild, moderate, and severe. So mild patients are treated at home and moderate to severe patients are in the hospital, and then put on medications. We don’t give them antibiotics. But we put them on anti-allergens, nebulizer, etc.,” she explained the treatment given to the children category-wise.

The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor category on Tuesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 385.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 444 and slipped from ‘very poor’ to the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 391 and continued to remain in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

The air quality in Delhi’s satellite cities showed no improvement from the previous day. Gurgaon is predicted to slip into the ‘severe’ category from Wednesday, November 2. Noida’s air quality is also expected to dip further.

The city of Delhi too fared very poorly. Narela in North West Delhi reported the highest AQI at 571. North Delhi Air Quality is the poorest at the moment as almost all the stations have AQI above 400. Most of the stations in the capital have an AQI above 300 except a few like Mandir Marg in central Delhi.

According to data by SAFAR, Dhirpur in Model Town registered an AQI of 494. The AQI near IGI Airport (T3) also stood in the ‘very poor category on Tuesday with an AQI of 332.

Delhi slipped into ‘severe’ on the AQI meter on Saturday. With air pollution worsening in the national capital, Delhi authorities halted all construction work and demolition activities till further orders. (ANI)

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Delhi Air Quality Index

Delhi Air Quality Index 342,Very Poor Category

The air quality of the national capital remained ‘very poor’ as the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) calculated its quality index as 342 on Monday.

The Air Quality Index for the day has been marginally lower than the recorded AQI level of 350 on Sunday.
In the area near Delhi University, the AQI has been recorded as 372 under the ‘very poor category. Meanwhile, the SAFAR recorded it ‘very poor’ at 362 in the Lodhi Road area.

Meanwhile, the Pusa area was also under the ‘very poor’ category with an AQI level of 340.

The AQI at Mathura Road, IGI Airport Terminal 3, and IIT Delhi also felt ‘very poor quality of air with the levels at 358, 336, and 322.

Notably, the Air Quality level in Delhi was in the ‘very poor category on Sunday as well.

The air quality has been deteriorating in the national capital before Diwali, but it increased further as people burnt firecrackers here and because of the stubble burning in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan in the winter, its fumes and pollutants move across cities.

Stubble burning had turned worse across Punjab, giving no hope of improvement in Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) as the capital gasps for clean air.

Increasing incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year have become a matter of serious concern with the Union Environment Ministry pointing out that the AQI is likely to sharply deteriorate as only about 45-50 percent of sown area in the state had been harvested till October 24.

Sources in the Environment Ministry had told ANI that the contribution of stubble burning to the adverse air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region has been increasing sharply and is about 18-20 percent currently with the trend only likely to increase further.

As per the Standard Protocol developed by ISRO for Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, total paddy residue burning events reported in Punjab were 7,036 compared to 6,463 for the same period during the last year.

CAQM further stated that about 70 percent of farm fires during the current paddy harvesting season were reported only from six districts namely Amritsar, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala, and Tarn Taran.

These districts account for 4,899 cases against a total of 7,036 incidents in Punjab. These traditional six hotspot districts also accounted for about 65 percent of the total burning incidents during the last year for the same period. Out of a total of 7,036 reported cases, 4,315 stubble-burning incidences were reported during the last six days alone i.e., about 61 percent.

As per the Standard ISRO Protocol, for the period of September 15 – October 28 this year, a total of 10,214 paddy residue burning events have been reported in Punjab compared to 7,648 for the same period during the last year, which is a significant increase of about 33.5 percent.

Out of the total 10,214 reported cases, 7,100 stubble-burning incidents were reported in the last 7 days alone which is about 69 percent, added the official.

While in Haryana, the total number of farm fire events reported for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, is 1,495 compared to 2,010 for the same period last year. There is about a 26 percent reduction in paddy residue burning events in Haryana so far during the current year.

Meanwhile, Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas has intensified its efforts to ensure enforcement and compliance with its directions in view of deteriorating air quality in Delhi.

The Commission has issued closure directions to 45 coal-based industrial units in Rajasthan. Further, 32 coal-based units (9 in Haryana and 23 in UP) have been closed down permanently. 48 units (8 in Haryana and 40 in UP) have temporarily suspended their operations till these units are converted to approved fuels.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee decided to implement Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR in a move to prevent further deterioration of air quality.

“Under this, all construction work will be banned except for special projects like Central Vista and other projects of national need,” read the official press release from Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters during the meeting, the Commission noted that due to unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents, it is considered necessary to implement Stage III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR. (ANI)

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