Delhi air pollution: Principal Secretary to PM holds high-level meeting

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will monitor the alarming pollution situation in Delhi and neighbouring states on a daily basis, it was decided at a high-level meeting chaired by the principal secretary to the prime minister on Sunday.

P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, reviewed the situation arising out of severe air pollution in the National Capital Region, and other parts of north India.

Senior officials from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi joined the meeting through video-conferencing, according to a statement.

"The cabinet secretary will monitor the situation with these states on a daily basis," it said.

The chief secretaries of these states have been asked to monitor the situation in various districts of their respective states round-the-clock.

Pollution levels in Delhi and satellite towns shot up again on Sunday morning, with the air quality bordering the 'severe plus' category at several places.

Authorities have announced a public health emergency in the national capital. Schools have been shut in Delhi and Noida till Tuesday.

Pollution caused a major disruption at Delhi airport on Sunday as 37 flights were diverted to other airports due to heavy smog.