New Delhi: In the wake of rising air pollution ahead of winter, Delhi’s overall air quality deteriorated to "very poor" category as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 302 on Sunday.
According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), air quality around Delhi University was 'very poor' category with AQI at 330, in the same category around Airport (T3) with AQI at 313. Kartavya Path at India Gate recorded AQI 266.
New Delhi’s Ananda Vihar breached the “very poor” category as the AQI recorded was 345. Air Quality Index at ITO was 309, New Moti Bagh was 360, Dwarka Sector 8 was 313.
In Noida, the AQI was 290, taking the air quality to “poor”, while Gurugram recorded AQI of 152, with the air quality being in the “moderate” category.
Meanwhile, flagging concern over burning of crop residue, that leads to pollution in the national capital during winter, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices to Punjab chief secretary and member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), news agency PTI reported.
“The period when the stubble burning takes place is mainly between September 15 to November 30. Hence, during this period, the concerned authorities are required to be vigilant in identifying the violators, and in taking remedial measures, including imposition of penalty,” The NGT Bench said, while hearing a suo motu plea following a media report highlighting a rise in farm fire incidents in Punjab.
“Effective implementation of various measures is the key for controlling stubble burning in the state,” the NGT bench noted.
The green tribunal further said that an “effective on-ground action” was needed to achieve the targets in checking air pollution. It directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to keep on record an area-wise crop residue management plan and sought action taken reports from the PPCB and Commission for Air Quality Management.