NEW DELHI, Oct 24 (NNN-PTI) – Local government of the Indian capital territory, yesterday said, it has identified eight more pollution hotspots, in addition to the already existing 13.
Delhi Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, said, special teams will be deployed across the city to check pollution sources.
Rai said, the government has also decided to use dust suppressant powder, to prevent dust pollution in the city.
He also mentioned that, a decision to increase the frequency of buses and metro trains would be undertaken with the aim of ensuring public transport is used more.
Air pollution level in Delhi continues to be very poor and prominent pollutants are PM 2.5 and PM 10.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, an institute monitoring air pollution, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 303, yesterday.
Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction. For the past many years, every year ahead of winter, the air quality in Delhi has become hazardous.
Officials in Delhi blame the stubble burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana for the increasing pollution.
On Saturday, authorities enforced Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan measures, to curb the rising pollution, which entails hiking parking charges for private vehicles. The move is aimed at discouraging people from using their private vehicles in the city, and motivating them to use public transport like buses running on compressed natural gas and the metro trains for daily commuting.– NNN-PTI
