As the air quality in Delhi NCR continues to deteriorate with an alarming speed, the authorities said that they may have to stop the private cars from plying on the Delhi roads if the air quality worsens.
Bhure Lal, Chairman, Environment Pollution Control Authority, on Tuesday, said, ” From Nov 1 our Graded Action Response Plan (GARP) will be implemented. Let us hope Delhi air pollution situation doesn’t deteriorate or else will have to stop plying of private vehicles, only public transport will be used.”
From Nov 1 our graded action response plan will be implemented. Let us hope Delhi air pollution situation doesn’t deteriorate or else will have to stop plying of private vehicles, only public transport will be used:Bhure Lal, Chairman, Environment Pollution Control Authority pic.twitter.com/3yathCUCCo
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2018
On Tuesday, at 3 pm in Delhi, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 401, falling in the ‘severe’ category. The AQI for Ghaziabad was worst in the entire NCR region at 444 points.
An AQI between 0 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’.
According to a recent WHO report, one lakh children in India died because of air pollution in 2016.
With Diwali just around the corner and winters sweeping into the planes of North India, the pollution level of Delhi NCR is expected to worsen. Meanwhile, farmers burning crop residue in Haryana and Punjab is adding fuel to the fire. And it is high time that people along with authorities fight this battle.