The Air Quality Index recorded 'severe' category for the fifth consecutive day in Delhi on Sunday as the city woke up with a blanket of smog. As the restrictions to curb pollution has been tightened, the authorities imposed a total fine of Rs 5.85 crore on several violations across the city on Friday.
Delhi AQI 'Severe' For 5th Day
Delhi entered the fifth day with the air quality index recording 'severe' and several areas in the national capital exceeding 400 mark on Sunday morning.
The hazardous weather has affected the citizens who have complained of triggering health issues including respiratory problems, eye irritation and rise in cardiovascular ailments.
The city's 24-hour Air 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 considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 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 Friday, authorities intensified action 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 of restrictions under the third stage of GRAP.
The police also cracked down on vehicles not having Pollution Under 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 the 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 BJP governments are deliberately sending diesel buses, that are prohibited under the current guidelines, to worsen Delhi's air pollution problem," said Rai.
