Delhi chokes under ‘severe plus’ air quality, rail service disrupted, SC hears plea
Updated: Nov 18th, 2024
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| Delhi AQI deteriorates |
The air quality in Delhi plunged to ‘hazardous’ levels on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to 481 at 7 am, classified as ‘severe-plus’.
This alarming level has alarming health implications, particularly for vulnerable populations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the majority of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations recorded AQI readings above 450.
Neighbouring regions reported varying levels of air pollution, Noida's air was in the 'very poor' category with an AQI of 384, Faridabad registered 'poor' at 320, while Ghaziabad and Gurugram faced 'severe' conditions with AQIs of 400 and 446, respectively.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Alert for dense fog. The fog has further exacerbated the situation by significantly reducing visibility. The combination of fog and toxic air has disrupted flight operations, causing widespread delays.
Despite stringent measures to curb pollution, Delhi remains engulfed in smog, with locals describing the city as a “gas chamber”. The situation has worsened leaving citizens struggling to breathe in the toxic air. The cold wave has also arrived, compounding the health crisis.
In West Delhi, morning walkers shared their concerns, stating, “This is not fog, it is pollution. Breathing has become difficult, especially for those above 50 years of age.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked all actions as envisaged under Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan ('Severe+'Air Quality) in Delhi-NCR from Monday amid worsening air.
The decision came after the Sub-Committee for operationalisation of the GRAP called an emergency meeting in view of the rising pollution owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions in Delhi-NCR.
SC hears plea on controlling air pollution
As the national Capital chokes under horrendous air quality amid dense fog, the Supreme Court hears on Monday a public interest litigation (PIL) relating to control of pollution.
As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and A G Masih will take up the popular M C Mehta case for hearing on November 18.
The Supreme Court has taken a tough stand on rising pollution in the national capital. It had pulled up the Delhi government for not implementing the firecrackers ban and called for an affidavit from the Delhi government and Police Commissioner detailing the steps taken to enforce the same.
It had asked the Delhi government as well as the Delhi Police to highlight steps they propose to take to mitigate pollution next year.
Further, the apex court had asked the states of Punjab and Haryana to file affidavits detailing the status of stubble burning within their jurisdictions.
Railway services disrupted
Visibility in the capital plummeted significantly, with Palam recording just 150 metres at 5 am, grounding flight operations and significantly affecting rail services. Trains across the region were delayed, affecting passengers in the process.
“Our train was supposed to depart at 8.20 am, but due to the thick fog and smog, it's now delayed to 9.45 am,” said one passenger. “Trains are running very late, causing a lot of inconvenience.”
Kishor, another traveller, shared his distress, noting that the delays were lasting for over 24 hours.
“I’ve been waiting for an hour now, but there’s no sign of the train. It's not just Delhi—other states are experiencing similar issues,” he lamented.
(Compiled from syndicated feed)
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