LOC00:34
21:34 GMT
NEW DELHI, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- Indian capital on Saturday witnessed sudden spike in Air Quality Index prompting the authorities to impose actions envisaged under Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan for Severe+ category.
A statement from the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that the Sub-Committee of Graded Response Action Plan of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas met today evening in wake of rising trend in Air Quality Index owing to unfavorable meteorological conditions and imposed actions envisaged under the Stage-IV.
As part of the immediate action, the authorities asked to stop entry of BS-IV truck traffic into Delhi and enforce strict ban on plying of Delhi registered diesel operated BS-IV vehicles except for trucks carrying essential commodities or providing essential services.
It also banned all construction and demolition activities including linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, tele-communication etc.
It directed state governments in the region to mandatorily conduct classes in schools in hybrid mode in Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
"State governments may consider additional emergency measures like closure of colleges educational institutions and closure of non-emergency commercial activities, permitting running of vehicles on odd-even basis of registration numbers etc.," it added.
The move came as the average Air Quality Index recorded 441 at 6 PM Local Time.
Any reading above 400 in a maximum 500 scale is considered dangerous even for healthy people.
Delhi is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world according to several studies on global air quality.
The intense air pollution in Indian capital is attributed to crackers, industrial and vehicular pollution, construction related pollution and burning of stubbles in neighboring states.
However, authorities said that the current situation is due to unfavorable meteorological conditions, with low wind speed and lack of dispersal of pollutants. (end)
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