New Delhi:
Delhi has directed all authorities and personal faculties to carry lessons till Class 11 (besides Class 10) in hybrid mode – each bodily and on-line – as stricter air pollution norms underneath the Graded Response Motion Plan (GRAP) Stage 4 got here into impact on Saturday.
Fifty per cent of employees in authorities and personal places of work have additionally been requested to do business from home. An analogous order was issued on November 24, after GRAP-3 measures got here into pressure, however was withdrawn after the measures have been revoked later that month.
The Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM), the centre’s anti-pollution panel, invoked restrictions underneath GRAP-3 for Delhi and close by areas on Saturday afternoon and elevated them to GRAP-4 the identical night, noting a worsening in air high quality.
The AQI in Delhi was recorded at 431 at 4 pm and rose to 441 at 6 pm.
“Retaining in view the prevailing pattern of air high quality and in an effort to forestall additional deterioration of air high quality within the area, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP decides to invoke all actions as envisaged underneath Stage-IV of the extant GRAP – ‘Extreme+’ Air High quality (DELHI AQI > 450), with rapid impact, in all the NCR. That is along with the actions underneath Levels I, II & III of extant GRAP already in-force in NCR,” the CAQM mentioned in an announcement.
GRAP 1 restrictions come into pressure when the AQI is between 201 and 300 (which is categorised as ‘Poor’), GRAP 2 restrictions when it’s between 301 and 400 (‘Very Poor’), GRAP 3 between 401 and 450 (‘Extreme’) and GRAP 4 when the AQI crosses 450 (‘Extreme Plus’).
Explaining the explanations for the worsening AQI, the CAQM mentioned the feeble Western Disturbance approaching north-west India was the primary contributing issue, and never native emissions.
“This prevailing meteorological situation has (resulted in a) marked discount in wind velocity, at occasions changing into calm, a shift in wind route from westerly to easterly, and a rise in moisture content material within the decrease ambiance. Such situations throughout the winter season are conducive to the formation of smog and fog, leading to poor dispersion and trapping of pollution close to the floor. Owing to those hostile meteorological situations, a sudden deterioration in air high quality has been noticed,” it mentioned.
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