Bharatiya Janata Party MP Yogendra Chandolia on Wednesday said that the government is making every possible effort to curb air pollution.
Slamming the previous AAP government over the issue, Chandolia said, "I keep saying the same thing repeatedly, the problems of 26 years cannot be resolved in minutes. Those who are raising questions should think about what you (AAP) did during your 11 years in office."
Meanwhile, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced a 50% work-from-home policy for Delhi, noting that the next few days are not expected to be much better than last year's figures. To curb vehicular pollution, he also urged people to obtain Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.
"We are making every effort to improve the situation. Starting tomorrow, I urge people in Delhi to obtain their PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates. They will not get fuel without a PUC certificate. Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned. I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards," Manjinder Singh Sirsa told ANI.
On Tuesday, Sirsa, in his address to Delhi residents, said that the pollution cannot be eliminated in 9-10 months, but the direction and intent are clear, with daily efforts to reduce the AQI.
This comes as the Delhi Government faces mounting pressure from the Opposition, which has called for a discussion on the matter in Parliament.
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said, "The parliamentary winter session is coming to an end, and there has been no discussion on pollution. Unfortunately, Delhi's minister had to apologise, while no leader from the Central Government came forward to accept responsibility."
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital saw a slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 328 at around 8 am, compared to Tuesday's AQI of 354 at 4 pm, keeping it in the 'very poor' category.
For instance, Burari Crossing recorded an AQI of 298 (Poor), which is better than that of other locations in the city. Other areas, such as IGI Airport Terminal 3 (263), IIT Delhi (300), and CRRI Mathura Road (297), also recorded improved air quality but remained in the 'poor' category. According to CPCB categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
However, a thick layer of smog also engulfed areas around IGI Airport, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, AIIMS and the Ghazipur National Highway 24. According to CPCB data, several areas in the capital, including Bawana (376), ITO (360), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (324), and Narela (342), continued to experience poor air quality. Wazirpur also recorded poor air quality, with an AQI of 359.
According to CPCB categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 is 'moderate', 201-300 is 'poor', 301-400 is 'very poor' and 401 to 500 is 'severe'.
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