The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) dropped to 472 on Friday, which is a notch short of the severe plus category. A total of 120 teams of the transport department will be in action at the capital’s entry points to ensure that trucks, apart from those carrying essential items, do not enter the national capital, officials said on Thursday.
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The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) decided to implement measures under stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan.
The measures under the plan include a ban on plying of four-wheeled diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi-NCR. It also includes a ban on Delhi-registered diesel-run medium and heavy goods vehicles in the capital. Those carrying essential commodities and providing essential services are exempted.
There is a ban on the entry of trucks other than electric and CNG ones in Delhi and no construction and demolition work in linear public projects such as highways, flyovers and overbridges is allowed.
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SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India’s data said that the air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to dip. In Noida, AQI at 562, 539 in Gurugram (Haryana) and 563 near Delhi University are in the severe category.
As per the weather forecast, the overall AQI over Delhi is likely to remain in the ‘Severe’/ ‘Severe+’ category from November 3 to November 5.
With a spike in pollution levels, the enforcement teams of the transport department are fully involved in ensuring that the anti-pollution measures are implemented.
“The teams will be deployed at the entry points to ensure that only the trucks carrying essential goods enter Delhi while the other trucks are turned back,” a senior transport department official said.
