The air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to worsen today, surpassing the “400” danger mark on a 500-point scale as the AQI reaches dangerously high levels in multiple locations. Delhi’s schools were closed for two days due to the poor quality of the air in the nation’s capital.“Due to the increasing pollution levels, all public and private primary schools in Delhi will be closed for the next two days,” tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data shows that at Anand Vihar station, Punjabi Bagh station, and Mundka station, the AQI levels were recorded in the “severe” category, meaning they were higher than 400 AQI.

What is the impact of severe AQI?

Fuel and diesel vehicles operating in and around Delhi are subject to limitations due to the current circumstances. Due to this predicament, primary schools in the capital were closed last night and non-essential building activity was prohibited.

Non-essential construction work has been prohibited in the National Capital Region, which encompasses Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurugram, by a central pollution control body. Additionally, diesel truck access into the city is prohibited.

Stage III of the Graded Action Response Plan, which was designed to address the yearly spike in pollution in the Capital and surrounding areas, will also see the implementation of a number of additional measures.

 According to additional warnings from government authorities, a spike in farm fires combined with an anticipated dip in temperature and air speed might cause pollution levels in Delhi-NCR to deteriorate over the  course of the next 15 to 20 days. The national capital’s skyline was shrouded in a smoky haze on Thursday, and the scenario is predicted to persist for the next few days.

The number of farm fires in Punjab increased by 740 percent. The current harvesting season’s record  number of  fires in a single day, 1,068 across the state, was even captured on satellite pictures.

The Smog Tower

The ₹23 crore Smog Tower in Delhi’s Connaught Place, which was inaugrated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in August 2021 with great fanfare, has vanished under the “severe” air pollution that the capital and its surrounding areas are experiencing.

#WATCH | Delhi's "Smog Tower" at Connaught Place is locked up and not operational. It was inaugurated in 2021 at a cost of around Rs 20 Crores.

The air quality in Delhi is in 'Severe' category today as per CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). pic.twitter.com/2FZlp9jZ88

— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2023

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)  recommended the smog tower’s closure in a letter to the environment ministry of the Delhi government in October. The letter noted that the DPCC’s two-year evaluation of the facility had shown that the reduction in particulate matter was only approximately 12–13% at a distance of 100 meters from the tower.

The DPCC went on to say that the location ought to be improved so that it can serve as a hub for environmental and climate change innovation.

In addition, the facility has been vacant for the previous seven months.

Residents of the national capital awoke to a thick blanket of smog once more on Friday. The government of Delhi issued an order on Thursday to close all elementary schools for the days of Friday and Saturday. The National Capital Region (NCR), which encompasses Delhi, has already implemented limits.

Is the forest department to be blamed?

The Delhi High Court slammed the forest department on Friday for its careless permitting of tree removal without providing justification and holding it accountable “for the mess that the Capital is in because of pollution.”

“You are to blame for the current state of chaos that Delhi’s residents find themselves in due to pollution. Do you think living in gas chambers is a good idea? While considering a contempt plea about the permit granted for felling trees without providing an explanation, Justice Jasmeet Singh stated, “It is only an application of mind and it is only sensitivity that is lacking.”

A day after the pollution levels entered the severe category for the first time this season, the remarks were made. At 11 a.m., Delhi’s average Air Quality Index was 475, which was lower than when it peaked in 2022 (471) and the previous year (450).

Bhavreen Kandhari, a climate activist, filed the contempt plea, claiming that the court’s April 2022 orders, which required the tree-cutting reasons to be specified, were being violated. On September 14, the court instructed police not to authorize the removal of trees in order to build buildings.

Representing the Delhi government, advocate Anupam Srivastava that the court rule on the contempt motion and establish guidelines for how the officers should approve tree cutting.

“They merely sign the last line indicating that authorization has been given. We may take suo moto action in which we are given the opportunity to voice our concerns. We are having trouble putting the Delhi Preservation Of Trees Act into practice. There is always a hanging sword in contempt, stated Srivastava.

Delhi Tops The List Again (Latest AQI)!

A ranking of the world’s most polluted cities updated, now features Delhi at the top. The Indian capital’s AQI was 640 on Friday, placing it in the “hazardous” category according to data gathered by Swiss business IQAir. Lahore, a city in Pakistan, comes in the last with an AQI of 335.

“Instructions have been issued to extend the hours that Delhi’s vacuum cleaners are now in operation. At present  52 MRS machines of the MCD are in use on Delhi’s roadways. Instead of working eight hours, they will now work  twelve. Similarly, 345 water sprinklers will run for 12 hours in order to cover more ground. The environment minister in Delhi stated, “Mobile anti-smog guns will also be used at (pollution hotspots)  and other areas.”

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement that in order to maintain air quality and dust  levels under control, NHAI has instructed its contractors and concessioners to examine the current dust control  measures at the National Highway construction sites and strictly adhere to the directives issued by the  CAQM / Central and/or State Pollution Control Board.

Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister for Delhi, scheduled a meeting on Friday to talk about putting the Graded Response Action Plan’s third stage into action. “A meeting of all concerned departments has been called on Friday at 12 pm to discuss the effective implementation of stage III of GRAP,” he stated to ANI.

The areas embarking the AQI 400 mark are Anand Vihar(450), Bawana(452), Burari Crossing(408), Dwarka Sector 8(445), Jahangirpuri(433), Mundka(460), NSIT Dwarka(406), Najafgarh(414), Narela(433), Nehru Nagar(400), New Moti Bagh(423), Okhla Phase 2(415), Patparganj(412), Punjabi Bagh(445), R K Puram(417), Rohini(454), Shadipur(407), and Wazirpur (435).

This occurred following the declaration of an air emergency in the nation’s capital, as the air quality index fell into the “severe” category days before Diwali.