Delhi Pollution: Minister Gopal Rai Pins Blame On Diesel Buses From UP, Haryana For Deteriorating AQI

The minister stated that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has instructed that only CNG, electric, and BS-VI buses would be authorised beginning November 1. 

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi's overall air quality dropped to the'very bad' category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 322.,according to SAFAR statistics around 1:00 p.m. on October 29. As per the SAFAR statistics, the overall air quality in Delhi on Sunday morning was in the'very bad' category, with an AQI of roughly 309 at 8:00 a.m. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday stated that the pollution has worsened throughout north India, news agency ANI reported.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai urged the Centre to impose a strict ban on buses running on poor diesel in the NCR areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. During an unexpected investigation at the Kashmere Gate interstate bus terminal, the minister learned that all buses registered in these locations were BS III and BS IV vehicles, PTI reported.

Speaking with ANI, Rai stated: “In Delhi and in the whole of North India, there is an increase in the level of PM2.5, and that of PM10 is decreasing in pollution. All the buses in Delhi are CNG. But the buses coming from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and other adjoining areas are diesel, due to which pollution is increasing."

The minister stated that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has instructed that only CNG, electric, and BS-VI buses would be authorised beginning November 1. 

"We talked today with drivers and officials here and got to know that there are diesel buses here. The transportation department will check different entry points starting November 1," he said.

“People in Delhi have to suffer because of pollution in nearby areas. It is our demand from the central government and governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh to ban diesel buses in the NCR," he added.

#WATCH | Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai says, "The level of pollution has increased in the whole of North India... In Delhi and in the whole of North India, there is an increase in the level of PM2.5, and that of PM10 is decreasing in pollution. All the buses in Delhi are… pic.twitter.com/Flwkz9FZKW

— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2023

Stubble Burning Contribution To Delhi's Pollution Expected To Reduce This Year: Gopal Rai

Earlier on Saturday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that the number of stubble burning events registered in adjacent states so far this year is lower than last year, and the total impact of agricultural fires to the city's air pollution is projected to decrease, PTI reported.
    
However, he warned that owing to poor weather conditions, air pollution might worsen in the next days.
    
He told reporters here that just about 2,500 stubble burning events have been documented so far, compared to 5,000 similar cases during the same period last year.
     
According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Punjab, which has the most stubble burning occurrences each year, recorded 49,922 agricultural fires in 2022, up from 71,304 the previous year and 83,002 in 2020.