The Air Quality Index recorded in the 'severe' category for the fifth consecutive day in Delhi on Sunday as the city woke up✃ with a blanket of🤪 smog.
With restrictions to curb pollution ti🔯ghtened, government authorities have imposed fines worth Rs 5.85 crore for several violations across the city as of Fri𝄹day.
Delhi AQI In 'Severe' Category For 5th Day
For the fifth day in a row, the air quality index in Delhi and𒀰 the national capital region were recorded as 'severe' as it exceeded the 400 mark on Sunday morning.
The hazardous weather has impacted the da💛ily lives of citizens who have complained of health issues including respiratory problems, eye irritation and rise in cardiovascular ailments.
The city's 24-hour ൲Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 PM daily, stood at 417 on Saturday, making it the worst in the country. On Friday, the AQI level was 396.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considere🎀d 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'p𓆉oor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
Authorities Impose Fine On Violations After GRAP III Enforcement
As the restrictions under the third stage of GRAP came into force on Fr♎iday, authorities intensified actཧion against those violating norms with teams of traffic police, transport department and others penalising violators.
On Friday, Delhi Traffic Police issued around 550 challans for violation of a ban on the plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles, imposing fines of over Rs 1 crore on the first day o🌼f restrictions under the third stage of GRAP.
The police also cracked down on vehicles not having Pollutio💜n Un꧅der Control Certificates (PUCC), as it issued fines to 4,855 vehicles totalling Rs 4.85 crore on Friday.
A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on motorists for not♎ having a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate.
Political Rivalry & Pollution
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday accused BJP-ruled neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh of aggravating Delhi's pollution problem by sending BS IV diesel buses to the city despite🍸 a ban.
During an inspection of buses at th🌃e Kashmiri Gate inter-state bus terminal (ISBT), Rai flagged the arrival of diesel buses from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand, noting that these buses continue to violate the GRAP III guidelines aimed at reducing pollution.
The Delhi government has﷽ imposed a ban on BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) III.
"The BJ༺P governments are deliberately sending diesel buses, that are prohibited under the current guℱidelines, to worsen Delhi's air pollution problem," said Rai.
Supreme Court Hearing On Pollution Tomorrow
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea se🦂eking enforcement of measures to curb air pollution in the national capital.
As per the cause list of November 18 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih i𝔉s 🍸slated to hear the plea.
On November 14, the top court had agreed to urgently list the plea after it was told that Delhi should not become th🌠e most polluted city in the world due to the rising pollution.
The bench had agreed💃 to list the matter after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who has been assisting 🔯the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, requested for urgent hearing looking at the prevailing situation in Delhi.
The amicus had told 🦋the bench that she had intimated the Commission of Air Quality Managem🧔ent (CAQM) and they should explain the steps being taken to curb pollution.
On November𝐆 11, the top court had taken serious note of the violation of its firecrackers ban order on Diwali, and observed that no religion encourages any activity that creates pollution.
It had asked the Delhi government to decide withi♔n a fortnight on extending the firecracker ban throughout the year.
It had said the right to live in🐲 a pollution-free atmosphere was a fundamental right of every citizen, protected by Article 21 of the Constitution.
The apex court is hearing a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in th𒊎e national capital and adjoining areas.
(With PTI inputs)
