New Delhi:
Delhi woke up to smog on Day 7 after Diwali, and the Delhi air has become toxic cocktail of dust and smoke. In a spate of emergency measures, all schools in Delhi have been directed to remain closed till Wednesday. In a bid to control air pollution, New Delhi Municipal Council has started sprinkling water on roads.
Delhi is witnessing worst smog condition in last 17 –years, and on Sunday, it has recorded an average level of PM2.5 — tiny particulate matter that can clog lungs — at nearly 600 micrograms per cubic meter. The limit is 60 times more the level considered safe by the WHO and 10 times the government’s norms.
Here are the live updates:
#80 % of air pollution problem in Delhi is derived from here itself,20% is frm crop burning in neighbouring states; need to address this:Dave
#There must not be 'blame game' here, right now the priority is to make air pollution free so that people can breathe: Env Minister Anil Dave
# Till State Govt takes initiative immediately, no issue would be solved. They must sprinkle water and do the needful on time: Anil Dave
# We will issue an environment protection calendar which will be state specific. Dust is one of the major reasons for pollution: Anil Dave
#DelhiSmog: New Delhi Municipal Council begins to sprinkle water using Jet pressure pump technique to control air pollution pic.twitter.com/qWn1dmMIZo
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016
#Isn't it your responsibility to curb pollution? What is Nagar Nigam doing, they were asked to use machines for cleaning purposes earlier-NGT
#"What action have you taken against those violating NGT orders? 70% land in Punjab is used for crop burning,what is Delhi Govt doing?: NGT
#NGT asks, "Why haven't you started sprinkling water on roads to reduce dust?What happened to proposal of sprinkling water using helicopters?
Meeting chaired by Environment Minister Anil Dave underway over the rise in pollution levels in Delhi #DelhiSmog pic.twitter.com/1FUKIjO73C
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016
#"What have you done till now to curb pollution," asks NGT to Centre, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab Govt.
#NGT slams Delhi Govt, Centre, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan Govt over rise in pollution levels matter
#Meeting chaired by Environment Minister Anil Dave underway over the rise in pollution levels in Delhi
#80% of air pollution problem in Delhi is derived from here itself,20% is frm crop burning in neighbouring states; need to address this:Dave
#WATCH: Locals burning paddy stubble in Moga district of Punjab causing pollution in many states pic.twitter.com/dWiKGQ9vUJ
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016
#WATCH Heavy smog blankets the capital city Delhi, situation has been the same over past one week. pic.twitter.com/aZtSblK8oZ
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016
#FLASH Air Quality Data for Delhi - Particulate Matter 'Severe' pic.twitter.com/cysiUbH34M
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2016
We have ordered the schools to remain shut till November 9. We will assess the situation after that and take a decision accordingly," said North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Mayor Sanjeev Nayyar.
"Schools of East Delhi Municipal Corporation will also remain closed till November 9," said an EDMC official.
"All SDMC schools will remain closed till November 12 due to the high level of pollution and smog," South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Shyam Sharma said.
"We have also urged the parents to take special care of the children as they are vulnerable to the situation," he added.
Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday held an emergency cabinet meeting to find out ways to combat smog, he referred the current environment condition as 'gas-chamber' and also announced list of measures to tackle the situation.
Delhi government has asked to all school— private and public — to remain closed till Wednesday. Health experts have raised concerns of the ill-effects of Smog on aged-people and children. There were demands to close school but the Delhi government was saying it was not necessary earlier in the week.
Announcing a series of emergency measures, Kejriwal said the Delhi government was also exploring the possibility of bringing back the odd-even car rationing scheme, while appealing to the people to stay indoors and work from home if possible, considering the alarming levels of pollution.
Schools shut, DG ban, work from home: Ten directives CM Kejriwal gave to solve Delhi smog
As smog engulfs Delhi-NCR, you must know all about its ill-effects
Listing short-term steps to deal with the situation, the Chief Minister said the use of all diesel gen-sets has been prohibited for the next five days beginning Monday, barring emergency services like hospitals and mobile towers.
Delhi government also decided to shut down the coal- based Badarpur power plant, considered one of the key sources of pollution, for 10 days from Monday. The plant generates around 300MW of power.
