Delhi-NCR schools to be closed on Nov 14-15 as air quality deteriorates

19:36 November 13

SC panel orders closure of Delhi-NCR schools till November 15

SC panel orders closure of Delhi-NCR schools till November 15

The Supreme Court-mandated anti-pollution authority EPCA ordered schools in Delhi-NCR to be closed for the next two days as pollution in the city hovered close to 'emergency' levels.

It also advised people to avoid outdoor exposure and work from home wherever feasible.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority also extended the ban on hot-mix plants and stone-crushers in Delhi-NCR till November 15. 

The apex court had on November 4 banned construction and demolition activities in the region till further orders.

All coal and other fuel-based industries, which have not shifted to natural gas or agro-residue, will remain shut in Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bahadurgarh, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Sonepat and Panipat till November 15, it said.

In Delhi, industries which have not yet shifted to piped natural gas, will not operate during the period. 

15:10 November 13

Hydrogen fuel technology should be considered very seriously

"SC has directed that hydrogen fuel technology should be considered very seriously and a report may be prepared on it and brought in the court in the first week of December. SC also asked Delhi government and CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) to provide Air Quality Index (AQI) data from October 1 to December 31 of the last year," senior advocate told ETV Bharat. 

13:48 November 13

SC slams states, Centre

The Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to provide Air Quality Index (AQI) data from the date of introducing odd-even scheme till November 14. SC also asks Delhi government and CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) to provide Air Quality Index (AQI) data from October 1 to December 31 of the last year.

Supreme Court also issued a notice to Delhi government on a PIL, filed by an advocate Sanjiv Kumar, challenging its odd-even scheme terming it an illegal classification of vehicles. The Court posts the matter for hearing on November 15.

12:18 November 13

10:50 November 13

Visuals from Lodhi Garden.

People exercised and jogged - at parks, wearing masks this morning, as the air quality deteriorates.
 

08:29 November 13

Air Quality remains severe in Delhi

A layer of smog blankets the national capital this morning. The spike in pollution came on a day the Delhi government lifted restrictions under its odd-even road rationing scheme in view of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.

08:29 November 13

Pollutants remain in severe zone

According to the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB), Delhi's overall air quality index (AQI) read 425 at 4 pm and 437 at 9 pm on Tuesday. It was 360 at 4 pm on Monday.

08:28 November 13

Pollutants remain in severe zone

Wazirpur was the most-polluted areas in the city with an AQI of 465, followed by Bawana (464), Rohini (454), Mundka (458) and Anand Vihar (458). Faridabad (413), Gurgaon (415), Ghaziabad (461), Greater Noida (444), and Noida (453) also choked on extremely polluted air.

07:50 November 13

SC seeks reports from Centre as air quality likely to enter 'Emergency' Zone

New Delhi:The noxious haze returned to Delhi and its suburbs on Tuesday with raging stubble fires in neighbouring states, fall in the temperature and wind speed pushing the city's air quality in the "severe" zone.

The government's air quality monitor, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), said pollution levels in Delhi-NCR are expected to enter the "severe plus" or "emergency" category on Wednesday.

Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, tweeted, "Forecast (green) suggests air quality in severe+ category by Nov 14 (sic)."

Meteorologists said the national capital recorded on Tuesday morning a minimum temperature of 11.7 degrees Celsius, the season's lowest so far. It is two notches below normal for this time of the year.

A dip in wind speed and temperature makes the air cold and denser, leading to accumulation of pollutants, said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the India Meteorological Department's regional weather forecasting centre.

The levels of PM 2.5 -- tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream -- shot up to 337 micrograms per cubic metre, breaching its emergency threshold of 300, by 9pm in Delhi-NCR. In case of PM2.5, the safe level is 0-60 micrograms per cubic metre.

The levels of PM10 increased to 484 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly five times the safe limit of 100 micrograms per cubic metre. Most of the 37 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded air quality in the severe category.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'. An AQI above 500 falls in the 'severe plus' category.

Experts said the spike in pollution levels can be attributed to a significant decline in wind speed. Incidents of stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab have increased and northwesterly winds have been bringing more farm fire plumes to the Delhi-NCR region, they said.

According to SAFAR, the share of stubble-burning accounted for 25 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Tuesday, up from 18 per cent on Monday.

"No sudden recovery is expected at least for the next two days and the AQI is likely to deteriorate further towards severe-plus category by tomorrow. The condition may slightly improve by November 15," it said in a report.

For around a week after Diwali, a pungent smog lingered over Delhi-NCR as a result of emissions from firecrackers, stubble burning and unfavourable weather.

As the air pollution neared the emergency level on November 1, a Supreme Court-mandated panel declared a public health emergency and the administration ordered closure of schools till November 5.

Last week, the apex court had pulled up the Centre and state governments for their inability to curb stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana and bring air pollution in Delhi under control. 

The period between October 15 and November 15 is considered critical as a maximum number of stubble-burning incidents take place in this span in Punjab and adjoining states, which is one of the main reasons for the alarming spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR.

Read: Delhi-NCR pollution: SC slams Punjab govt on stubble burning