The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi worsened slightly on Tuesday and stayed in the “poor” category and is expected to further deteriorate from the last week of October.
Meanwhile, stubble burning in Haryana, Punjab and on the border regions have shown a slight increase over the last 24 hours, according to government-run monitoring agency SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research).
But SAFAR said that the share of external biomass burning (mainly stubble burning) from neighbouring States is only 5% of the total PM2.5 level in Delhi. PM2.5 is the main cause of pollution in Delhi at this point.
“Latest NASA image shows large-scale stubble burning in adjoining States of Delhi... clearly demonstrates stubble burning points in Punjab and Haryana along with other areas,” a Delhi government statement said.
The AQI of the city on Tuesday was 270, slightly up from 252 on Monday. 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’.
“Drastic deterioration of air quality is not expected over the next two days. AQI is predicted to be in higher-end of poor to the lower end of the very poor category,” SAFAR said.
From Tuesday, measures under “very poor” and “severe” categories of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are in place, including a ban on use of diesel generator sets, in Delhi and other NCR towns to control air pollution. GRAP was notified in 2017 and it includes a set of guidelines to be followed when air quality deteriorates.
Earlier, diesel generator sets have been banned in Delhi under GRAP, but this is the first time there will be a ban in NCR towns. The ban have exemption only for emergency services.
Trouble over ban
Meanwhile, the SC-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) has called a meeting on Friday over the ban on diesel generator sets in Delhi and other NCR towns after multiple authorities protested against the move.
“It has been brought to the notice of EPCA that large number of residential sectors, colonies, malls and commercial establishments were given occupancy certificates without connecting them to regular power supply. Mainly these questions (on practical problem on shutting down generator sets) are being raised from such establishments and State governments,” EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal said in a letter to NCR governments.
“We have called a meeting. But in the meantime, we have not relaxed the ban on diesel generator sets,” Mr. Lal told The Hindu .
The Haryana government has also sought relaxation on ban on use of diesel generator sets in licenced colonies across the State and some sectors in Gurugram and Faridabad on account of technical non-feasibility for round-the-clock power supply.
In a letter to the EPCA, Haryana Power Secretary conceded that several developers had completed construction of their projects, either in part or in full, but had failed to install the required electrical infrastructure for supply of electricity to occupants of such completed constructions.
It further said that these defaulting developers have been asked since 2013 to solve the deficient electrical infrastructure, but there existed huge deficiency to the tune of ₹1,000 crore.
The letter said the distribution licensee and the transmission licensee did not have adequate infrastructure and capacity in some of the areas like Sector 58 and beyond in Gurugram and Sector 75 and beyond in Faridabad. It said the ban orders would lead to complete black out in these areas and possible law and order crisis as well.
