'Odd-even' scheme if pollution reaches 'severe' plus levels: Delhi govt

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced that the government is closely monitoring the city's pollution levels and will consider measures such as artificial rain and the implementation of the odd-even rule if the situation escalates to the 'Severe' plus category.

"The decision will be made based on observations over the next two to three days," he added.

"We will reach this decision (artificial rain and the implementation of odd-even) after observing the situation for the next two to three days. If the pollution escalates to the 'Severe' plus category, measures will be implemented to mitigate it," Gopal Rai said.

Further, the minister said, "Preparations are being made at various places in Delhi for Chhath Puja; this time also, Chhath Puja will be organised at more than 1000 places... Teams have started work regarding that (cleaning of the River Yamuna) also."

A thick layer of smog veiled the national capital on Wednesday morning and the air quality was recorded in the 'severe' category in several parts of Delhi.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality in RK Puram was recorded at 420 at 7 am on Wednesday, it was at 408 at New Moti Bagh, 404 at the IGI Airport area and 433 at Nehru Nagar, all in the severe category.

The city was engulfed in a thick layer of smog on the night of Diwali and the toxic haze continued the next day following the bursting of firecrackers, despite the Supreme Court order.

Nine out of 11 state capitals analysed in India recorded higher pollution in the first 12 hours after Diwali celebrations this year as compared to last year.

The government's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) tracker analysed PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) data for 11 capital cities.

The highest spike (recorded at 15-minute intervals) was seen in the national capital, Delhi. It was 999.5 ug/m3 at Pusa on November 13 at 1:30 am.

The NCAP Tracker is a joint project by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences to create an online hub for the latest updates on India's clean air policy, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The data was sourced from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Firecrackers were burst in the national capital and other cities on Diwali, despite alarming pollution levels and the Supreme Court's ban on bursting crackers.

Meanwhile, Delhi Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand took stock of the implementation of measures to control air pollution at the Jonti Border area and reviewed the ground situation there. The minister also took stock of the implementation of pollution control measures in the Kanjhawala area.

"Pollution in Delhi has been on the rise after Diwali. We have to reduce the pollution level in Delhi and our government is continuously working for it. We have been asking the locals to cooperate," Raaj Kumar Anand told ANI after the inspection in the Kanjhawala area.

The pollution control measures under stage four of the GRAP are currently underway in the national capital.