NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management on Wednesday revoked restrictions, including the ban on construction and demolition activities, brick kilns, hot-mix plants, stone crushers, and mining activities, under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan with immediate effect in Delhi-NCR. Meanwhile, the air quality in the capital is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category for the subsequent six days, according to Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 343 in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday. Dense fog, low temperatures, and calm wind conditions have caused the accumulation of pollutants, experts said. Since the forecast of IMD/IITM does not indicate the AQI to slip into the ‘severe’ category in the coming days, the CAQM decided to roll back Stage-III of GRAP in the entire NCR. With the commission withdrawing the restriction on C&D activities, daily wage labourers can resume work as the ban affected their livelihood. However, CAQM said, “C&D project sites and industrial units, which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations or non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, guidelines, etc, under no circumstances should resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the commission.”The CAQM emphasised that GRAP stages I and II, including the ban on DG sets, will remain in force. In these two stages, there is a ban on the use of coal or firewood, including in tandoors in hotels, restaurants, and open eateries. The authorities concerned have to enhance parking fees to discourage private transport.The commission has directed the agencies concerned to ensure that hotels, restaurants, and open eateries use only electricity/clean fuel gas-based appliances; regulated use of DG sets, except for the emergent and essential services; mechanised sweeping of roads every day and water sprinkling along with the use of dust suppressants regularly on roads to arrest dust. It has also directed to conduct regular inspections and ensure dust control measures at C&D activities. Meanwhile, in order to prevent open burning during the cold wave, Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued an advisory, asking Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), government and private offices, schools, stadiums, tourist sites, security personnel associations, and other individual institutions to provide warm kits to security guards. They have been advised to include one sweater, one pair of socks, one pair of winter gloves, one woollen cap, one electric heater, one blanket, and one N-95 mask in the kit for each security guard.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/ban-on-cd-activities-lifted-aqi-likely-to-stay-very-poor/articleshow/96746337.cms