New Delhi: Delhi- NCR were placed under the strictest anti-pollution restrictions on Saturday after air quality deteriorated sharply, slipping from the ‘severe’ category into ‘severe plus’ within hours.
Authorities invoked Stage-IV of the Graded Action Response Plan as pollution levels surged through the evening amid unfavourable weather conditions.
AQI Spikes Rapidly, Smog Engulfs Key Areas
The decision was taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management as real-time data showed a steep decline in air quality. Official readings indicated the Air Quality Index rose from 431 around 4 pm to 441 by 6 pm, before breaching the ‘severe plus’ threshold later at night. By midnight on December 14, the AQI stood at 460, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.
Several parts of the capital recorded alarming levels. Anand Vihar was blanketed in dense smog, with AQI touching 488, firmly in the ‘severe plus’ zone. India Gate and Kartavya Path were also enveloped in thick haze, where pollution levels were recorded at 407 by evening.
The CAQM attributed the sudden deterioration to slow wind speeds, a stagnant atmosphere and weather conditions that trapped pollutants close to the ground, preventing their dispersal.
Construction Ban, Vehicle Curbs and Hybrid Classes Ordered
With Stage-IV triggered across the NCR, all construction and demolition activities have been halted in Delhi. Authorities have also ordered the shutdown of stone crushers, mining operations and allied activities throughout the region.
Transport restrictions have been tightened, with directions issued to strictly limit the movement of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers across Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Schools have been directed to shift to hybrid learning for classes up to Class 5 to reduce children’s exposure to hazardous air. Offices, both government and private, have been ordered to function at 50 per cent capacity, with the remaining staff working from home under provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The curbs come in addition to measures already in force under earlier GRAP stages. Pollution control boards and civic agencies have been instructed to intensify monitoring and enforcement to prevent further deterioration.
