Delhi pollution: EPCA warns of taking all private vehicles off National Capital roads if air quality doesn't improve by 1 November

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has said that it will ban all private vehicles from plying in Delhi if the pollution level in the capital city is not curbed by 1 November. EPCA chairman Bhure Lal told CNN News18, that only public transport will be allowed on roads if Delhi continues to choke with hazardous levels of pollution. He said that the authority has already put in place a graded response action plan and it has been communicated to the local authorities concerned. He also said that Lietaunat Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal, has asked officials to work strictly against pollution and questioned them on as to why they haven’t done anything.

#BREAKING – Will remove private vehicles in Delhi and will have only public transport, warns Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority chairman. EPCA heads set heads sets November 1 deadline for reducing pollution. @Runjhunsharmas with more details | #RightToBreathe pic.twitter.com/63C8yu1Qur

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 30, 2018

Meanwhile, there were also reports of the Centre and the Delhi environment ministry carrying out week-long raids in Delhi starting from 1 November. Delhi’s air quality turned ‘severe’ on Tuesday for the first time this season with stubble burning intensifying in neighbouring states, authorities said. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 3 pm was 401, falling in the ‘severe’ category, the highest this season, Central Pollution Control Board officials said. 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’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. [caption id=“attachment_4205251” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) attributed the spike to “heavy stubble burning in the last 24 hours and calm winds”. About 28 percent of pollution by PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) on Tuesday was caused due to regional factors like stubble burning, SAFAR officials said. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) also spotted a large number of biomass fire spots through satellite imageries in neighbouring states of Delhi.