If air quality worsens this Diwali, you may pay four times more for parking in Delhi
Imposing a ban on diesel generator sets and temporarily shutting down the Badarpur thermal power plant and other measures have been taken by the Environment Pollution Control Authority, in order to curb pollution levels in the national capital region during the winter. “Hopefully, the city won’t witness such severe pollution levels this time. Otherwise, we will have no alternative but to shut down everything from vehicles to schools — bringing the entire city to a standstill,” said Sunita Narain, EPCA member and director of the Centre for Science and Environment. The air quality in Delhi has already reached ‘very poor’ (AQI 308) levels, and experts have warned that it may turn ‘severe’ (AQI 401-500) on October 20 — the day after Diwali. “Next, we may need to take drastic steps such as hiking the parking fees by at least three-four times, banning hot-mix plants (for road construction), and shutting down stone crushing units if the air quality deteriorates further,” said Narain. “The moisture level is increasing, and we expect foggy conditions on Diwali night. Too much smoke due to firecrackers and vehicular emissions could result in smog, which may linger for the next 24 hours,” said A Sudhakar, member-secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi experienced its worst ordeal with smog in 17 years right after last year’s Diwali celebrations. Delhi’s Anand Vihar, Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad and Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi, the pollution at these places have hit high levels. “As these are the most polluted places in the region, they will be our first targets. We will analyse the reasons and take immediate action,” said EPCA chairman Bhure Lal. -PTC News
