Delhi government extends ban on entry of trucks till November 30 amid air pollution crisis
Meanwhile, following Supreme Court's directions, the Delhi government has once again decided to reimpose a ban on construction and demolition activities.
FollowThe Delhi government on Saturday extended the ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items into the city and work from home for its employees till November 30. CNG/electric trucks carrying non-essential commodities will also be allowed to enter Delhi, adds the order.
Meanwhile, following Supreme Court's directions, the Delhi government has once again decided to reimpose a ban on construction and demolition activities.
The decision has been taken on the basis of prediction of the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi which says that “the air quality is likely to remain in the upper end of very poor category on November 27 and November 28 and the air quality for subsequent five days is also likely to remain in the very poor category, though gradual improvement is likely from November 27 till November 30.”
As per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital on Saturday morning slipped to 386 in the ‘very poor’ category.
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According to the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), schools and colleges will remain closed till further orders.
The city's 24-hour air quality index (AQI) stood at 406 on Friday. Neighbouring Faridabad (434), Ghaziabad, (376) Gurugram (378) and Noida (392) also recorded their air quality in the 'very poor' category.
Delhi recorded its lowest air pollution levels of the month in terms of the 24-hour average quality index on November 1 (AQI 281) and November 23 (AQI 290).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
On Saturday, the minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 10.2 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. Relative humidity recorded at 8.30am was 95 per cent, according to the India Meteorological Department.
