Gopal Rai, Delhi’s Environment Minister, has issued a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister requesting action on the transportation of non-destined cars into Delhi from the UP border to reduce pollution in the city.
“In this regard, it is requested that directions be issued to the concerned to ensure that all the non-destined vehicles should be diverted through Eastern and Western Peripheral Motorway night at their entry points before the Delhi Border. Accordingly, additional enforcement teams may be deployed at all entry points in peripheral ways to ensure the implementation of the aforesaid directions.” Read the letter addressed to UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh.
Following Friday’s rain, Delhi’s air quality improved somewhat on Saturday. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has upgraded the air quality from ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Poor’.
Anand Vihar had an AQI of 295 at 7 a.m. on Saturday, RK Puram had a reading of 230, Punjabi Bagh had a reading of 244, and ITO had a reading of 263. Meanwhile, Gopal Rai declared that the state government will postpone the intended implementation of the city’s odd-even car-rationing programme. The level of pollution has decreased. The AQI has dropped from 450 to roughly 300. The implementation of odd-even from November 13 to 20 has been postponed.
The statement comes after the Supreme Court asked the Delhi government earlier in the day to make a final judgement on the implementation of the Odd-Even Scheme. The court, however, declined to make a ruling, instead leaving the subject to the state administration.
The national capital is now implementing Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after the city’s air quality dropped to the ‘severe plus’ level.