New Delhi: Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has written a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister and asked for action on the plying of non-destined vehicles in Delhi from UP’s border to curb pollution in Delhi.
“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 expressway night at their entry points before the Delhi Border. Accordingly, additional enforcement teams may be deployed at all the Entry Points to Peripheral ways to ensure the implementation of the aforesaid directions.” read the letter addressed to UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh.
Following the rainfall on Friday, there was a slight improvement in Delhi’s air quality on Saturday. The air quality, which was previously categorized as ‘Very Poor’ by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has now improved to the ‘Poor’ category.
According to the AQI recorded at 7 am on Saturday, Anand Vihar was at 295, RK Puram at 230, Punjabi Bagh at 244, and ITO at 263.
Meanwhile, Gopal Rai announced that the state government would delay the proposed implementation of the odd-even car-rationing scheme in the city.
“An improvement is seen in the pollution level. The AQI which was 450+ has now reached around 300. The decision to implement odd-even from November 13 to 20 has been postponed. The situation would be analyzed again after Diwali,” said the Delhi Environment Minister.
The announcement comes after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, directed the Delhi government to make a definitive decision on the implementation of the Odd-Even Scheme. The court, however, refrained from taking a decision itself, leaving the matter in the hands of the state government.
Currently, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented in the national capital after the city’s air quality plummeted to the ‘severe plus’ category. (ANI)
(With inputs from ANI)
