Work from home, opt for car pools and more: Delhi govt suggests tips for clean air
Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday appealed to people in the national capital to work from home and use shared transport to reduce vehicular pollution as the city's air quality index remained in the “severe” category.
FollowDelhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday advised citizens to report instances of building activity, utilise vehicle and bike pools, choose to work from home, quit using coal and wood, and provide electric heaters to security guards. His request comes as Delhi's air quality remains "severe."
In the midst of calmer winds and raging field fires in Punjab, the blanket of noxious smog that has been hanging over Delhi increased on Tuesday. The city's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 424 was the worst this year. The Indo-Gangetic plains, from east Pakistan to east Uttar Pradesh, were covered in a layer of smoke, and a dense cluster of red dots indicated agricultural fires in Punjab and portions of Haryana, according to NASA satellite images.
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This is the second ‘severe’ air quality day in Delhi this year after January 2 (AQI 404), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. An AQI above 400 is considered “severe" and can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing illnesses.
The Centre's air quality panel had on Saturday instructed officials to put a ban on building and demolition operations in Delhi-NCR, except in vital projects, and other limits under stage three of the Graded Response Action plan, due to the deteriorating pollution levels.
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According to the severity of the issue, the GRAP is a series of anti-air pollution measures that are followed throughout the city and its surroundings. It was first introduced in 2017. This year, based on projections, restrictions on polluting activities are being put in place up to three days in advance.
