A thick blanket of smog engulfed the Delhi-NCR region on Tuesday morning, as the air quality continues to remain in the alarming zone despite strict restrictions being imposed. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 379 at 7 am, firmly entering the ‘very poor’ category.
Several hotspots record ‘severe’ pollution
As per the data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the levels of pollution were much worse at some of the air quality monitoring stations in the city. The AQI was recorded to be 445 at Pandav Nagar and 414 at ITO, which falls under the ‘severe’ category. Other regions also reported critical levels of pollution.
On Monday, the average AQI in Delhi was 410 at 4 pm, which was slightly lower than Sunday’s average AQI of 440. The situation had worsened significantly over the weekend, with the AQI exceeding 400 at 6 pm on Saturday. In this regard, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) initiated GRAP Stage-IV measures. It is pertinent to note that the last time a three-day severe pollution period was experienced in January was in 2021, from January 14 to 16.
The impact of GRAP Stage-IV measures is minimal
Even after the implementation of GRAP Stage-IV restrictions, there has been no improvement in air quality. According to CPCB data, 25 out of 39 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded ‘severe’ levels of air pollution on Monday. Wazirpur recorded an AQI of 473, Vivek Vihar recorded 472, and Anand Vihar recorded 497.
Gaps in enforcement identified by CAQM
The review conducted by CAQM and the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) found that there were major gaps in compliance with key steps. These included inspections of construction and demolition activities, mechanical road sweeping, and sweeping machines. The gaps in compliance ranged from 7% to nearly 100% in the NCR.
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The grievance redressal system for pollution-related complaints was also found to be inadequate, with deficiencies ranging from 47% to 100%. The commission has directed the DPCC and SPCBs to identify the officials who have not followed the directions and take appropriate action.
Monday saw moderate fog, with temperatures ranging from 7.7°C to 26.7°C. Rain is expected on January 23, which may help in dispersing the pollutants.
