The air quality in Delhi continues to be in the 'Severe' category as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Thursday. The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 426, worsening from 395 on Tuesday. To curb the deteriorating air quality, schools across the city will be closed for their winter break from today, November 9 until November 18.
The Delhi government has also banned the entry of app-based cab services like Uber and Ola based on the Supreme Court’s suggestion. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi-NCR, the region is likely to experience 'severe' air quality for another five to six days.
Delhi Pollution - Top Updates
1. All schools in Delhi will go on winter break from today, November 9 until November 18. "In the wake of implementation of GRAP-IV measures due to severe air quality prevailing in Delhi and seeing that no respite from such adverse weather conditions in the near future is predicted by the IMO, the winter break for the session 2023-24 is ordered to be preponed so that schools can be totally closed and both children and teachers can stay at home," a circular from the Delhi Directorate of Education stated.
2. Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has convened a meeting with fellow ministers to address the persistent air pollution issue gripping the capital for over two weeks. The gathering is scheduled at the Delhi Secretariat at 12:30 pm, as officials work towards finding effective solutions.
3. The Delhi government said it would direct the transport department to ban app-based taxis "in accordance with the Supreme Court's orders". No information was immediately available as to when the ban will come into effect. The transport department will issue a detailed order on the matter soon.
4. The Delhi government had earlier announced the implementation of the odd-even scheme from November 13 to 20, but has now deferred it until the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness in curbing air pollution and issues an order in that regard.
5. The Delhi government also plans to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding this month to combat air pollution after holding a meeting with scientists from IIT Kanpur. Experts anticipated that favourable weather conditions for cloud seeding could develop around November 20-21. The government has asked the scientists to prepare a proposal by Thursday that will be submitted to the Supreme Court.
6. Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) team restarted the functioning of the Rs 20 crore anti-smog tower at Connaught Place on Wednesday morning, a day after the Supreme Court ordered the administration to immediately operationalise the tower latest by Thursday. Officials had previously said that the smog tower could purify air in a one-kilometer radius at a rate of around 1,000 cubic metres per second.
