New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday announced that certain restrictions induced by the air pollution situation have been lifted in the national capital.
"Primary schools in Delhi were closed and open activities of classes senior to them were stopped. From November 9, primary schools will open, and the ban on open activities is being lifted," Gopal Rai said, as reported by news agency ANI.
The curbs lifted include a ban on the entry of trucks and a prohibition on construction work related to highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, pipelines, and power transmission.
READ | Delhi Pollution: Capital's Air Quality Continues To Be 'Very Poor'
However, the ban on private demolition and construction work will continue. Directions for the work-from-home have been amended, and Delhi government offices will be functioning at full capacity from today, the state minister informed.
The announcement comes as Gopal Rai chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to review the latest orders issued by the Centre's air quality body regarding reversing limitations imposed under the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Delhi's air pollution levels ameliorated marginally to the lower end of the "very poor" category on Sunday, following which the Centre's air quality panel, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), lifted the fresh curbs imposed three days ago.
After the air pollution in the capital improved marginally to the lower end of the "very poor" category on Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), directed authorities to lift the Grade IV curbs.
The Centre's air quality panel instructed authorities on Sunday to suspend the ban on non-BS VI diesel-powered light motor vehicles and truck entrance into the city imposed under the last stage of the Graded Response Action Plan.
Last week on Thursday, as the AQI reached 450, just a notch short of the "severe plus" category, the CAQM directed authorities to prohibit the use of non-BS VI diesel light motor vehicles in the city and adjoining NCR districts, as well as the entry of trucks into the national capital, as part of stage IV of anti-pollution measures under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that primary schools in Delhi will be shut until the pollution situation improves.
Notably, the GRAP classifies the air quality in Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage 1 - 'poor' (AQI 201-300); stage 2 - 'very poor' (AQI 301-400); stage 3 - 'severe' (AQI 401-450); and stage 4 - 'severe plus' (AQI >450).
Actions under GRAP stages 1 to 3 will remain invoked and be implemented, monitored, and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further to the 'severe' category.
(With Agency Inputs)