- By Kamal Kumar
- Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:56 PM (IST)
- Source:PTI
Delhi Air Pollution Latest Updates: Amid the continuously deteriorating air quality, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday initiated the allocation of Rs 20 lakh per zone to step up the fight against air pollution. Twelve such zones will be provided with the money to procure resources such as anti-smog guns and machines along with the required manpower for their operation.
For five consecutive days, the air quality in the capital has consistently been classified as 'very poor,' with a continuous upward trend towards the higher range of this category. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached its peak for the season at 372. The 24-hour average AQI increased continuously, measuring 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday.
Several localities within the city, including Nehru Nagar (402), Sonia Vihar (412), Rohini (403), Wazirpur (422), Bawana (403), Mundka (407), Anand Vihar (422), and New Moti Bagh (435), witnessed a significant decline in air quality, falling into the 'severe' category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) scale categorizes levels from 'good' (0-50) to 'satisfactory' (51-100), 'moderate' (101-200), 'poor' (201-300), 'very poor' (301-400), and 'severe' (401-500).
The statement read, "The MCD has allocated an amount of Rs 20 lakh per zone for taking steps to augment efforts towards air quality management in the city. The funds will be provided to all 12 zones so that the air quality improves over the next three days by taking dust mitigation measures."
"The amount will be utilised for strengthening the machinery and manpower to mitigate dust pollution. The funds will be used to make sprinklers functional and hire drivers... By using these funds, all zones will ensure the operation of anti-smog guns with full efficiency, along with manpower in their respective jurisdiction," it said.
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As a part of its initiatives, the MCD plans to concentrate on allocating machinery and workforce to remove waste along railway tracks, according to officials. Additionally, the MCD will acquire dust suppressants to be applied using anti-smog guns and water sprinklers, with a frequency of at least every other day during non-peak hours.
Stringent measures are being adopted by the MCD to control construction activities and the disposal of demolition waste. The municipal corporation is adhering to directives provided by the Commission for Air Quality Management and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as they are issued periodically, as mentioned in the statement.