(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The government ordered diesel generators and a power plant in Delhi to be shut down today as air quality in the capital deteriorated ahead of Diwali, the festival of lights, when a night of firecrackers sends pollution levels rocketing.
Under a plan that imposes anti-pollution measures when air quality drops below a certain level, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) also ordered some brick kilns to close and the burning of rubbish to stop.
With Delhi's air already in the 'very poor and severe category, the measures will stay in place until March to prevent pollution levels from rising.
Many richer residents of Delhi have diesel generators as a back-up during regular power supply disruptions.
Emergency services like hospitals will not be forced to shut down their generators.
'Delhi has a long way to go before it can lay claim to having reasonably clean and breathable air, Sunita Narain, an EPCA member and director general of the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based thinktank, said in a statement.
Air pollution in Delhi has become a major public policy issue in recent years as residents wake up to the life-threatening implications of breathing air frequently ranked among the world's most toxic.
Courts have taken up much of the role in trying to clean the air, although enforcement of the various bans and restrictions has proven difficult.
Last week the Supreme Court temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers in and around Delhi ahead of Diwali, as it looks to prevent a repeat of severe air pollution that forced school closures last year.
Diwali falls tomorrow.
Last November, about a million children were forced to stay home from school and thousands of workers reported sick as New Delhi struggled with its worst pollution for nearly 20 years.
Vehicle emissions and dust from construction sites were the factors blamed for that spike, besides firecrackers and crop burnings.
EPCA chairman Bhure Lal said 'difficult situations demand tough responses and solutions and the Delhi-NCR region is faced with a really difficult situation each winter when air pollution levels spiral out of control. The EPCA and all other agencies of the government are prepared to take those tough decisions which we believe will help clear the air.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, air quality index yesterday crossed the 'very poor 300 mark at a dozen places and was above the 'severe 400 level at two places in Delhi.
The 'very poor 300-400 level can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure and the 401-500 severe level can affect even healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases.
The worsening air quality in Delhi may also trigger an increase in car parking fee by up to four times across the city in the next few days. But a decision on that has not been taken as yet.
Narain said a parking policy was still being worked out and if air pollution worsens further and touches more alarming proportions, 'cars will have to be off the roads.
The environment body has further advised the residents of Delhi-NCR to use face masks whenever possible.
Based on its assessment, EPCA said it had predicted that the day after Diwali will be a very bad day for the residents of the capital in terms of air quality.
The wind, according to EPCA, would be south-easterly, which would add moisture to Delhi's air and thereby increase the concentration of pollutants by not letting them disperse.
India and China together accounted for more than half of the 4.2mn deaths attributable to air pollution worldwide in 2015, a study by the US-based Health Effects Institute showed.
The closure of Delhi's Badarpur thermal power plant is one of the actions required when the air quality turns very poor by the government's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which came into force in January.
MENAFN1710201700670000ID1095957567
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.