Delhi's air remains toxic, SC unhappy with GRAP implementation

New Delhi, Nov 22: Delhi's Air Quality Index rose several notches on Friday to again reach within the touching distance of the 400-mark, which indicates severe level of pollution, even as the apex court expressed displeasure over the poor implementation of GRAP-4 restrictions, especially those related to the entry of trucks.

The Supreme Court said the highest GRAP-4 restrictions would continue until at least November 25 when it would review if it can be lifted.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 4 pm on Friday was 393, up from 371 a day earlier.

Of the total 35 monitoring stations in Delhi, 22 reported "severe" air quality, with AQI readings exceeding 400, compared to just six on Thursday.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor", 401-450 "severe", and above 450 "severe plus".

At 5 pm on Friday, CPCB data indicated that PM2.5 and PM10 were the primary pollutants, with PM2.5 levels at 194 µg/m³ and PM10 at 325 µg/m³.

These fine particles, particularly PM2.5, pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

The Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management attributed 15.16 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Friday to vehicular emissions, while stubble burning, another major contributor, accounted for 17.9 per cent of PM2.5 levels on Thursday.

Amid Delhi's escalating pollution crisis, the CPCB has highlighted limited feasibility of cloud seeding as an emergency measure during winters in northern India, citing insufficient moisture and reliance on pre-existing clouds influenced by western disturbances.

In an RTI reply, the central pollution body citing IIT Kanpur study, said that pre-existing clouds with at least 50 per cent moisture are essential for the success of such an initiative.

It said that in northern India, winter clouds are often influenced by western disturbances, and the moisture content in the air remains low, limiting the scope of successful operations, according to the CPCB reply.

The CPCB also highlighted the estimated cost of the proposed experiment, which is approximately Rs 3 crore. The proposal includes a minimum coverage area of 100 km² and involves five sorties (cloud seeding attempts).

It came against the backdrop of the Delhi government's frequent requests to the Centre seeking permission for artificial rain to combat the rising level of pollution in the national capital.

According to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, he has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav four times, urging the Centre to consider cloud seeding as a potential solution.

Rai on Friday asked Chief Secretary Dharmendra to ensure strict enforcement and coordinated implementation of restrictions under the fourth stage of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) among all departments.

In his letter, Rai stressed that while there has been a slight improvement in AQI levels in recent days, the situation demands urgent and sustained action from all concerned departments.

On Friday, the apex court appointed 13 Supreme Court lawyers as court commissioners to visit the various entry points in Delhi to ascertain whether restrictions on entry of trucks were implemented or not.

The apex court said it would consider on November 25 whether or not to ease the anti-pollution GRAP-4 restrictions in Delhi-NCR keeping in view the drop in air quality index levels.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih expressed displeasure over the poor implementation of GRAP-4 restrictions, especially related to restricting entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi.

Meanwhile, farm fires also continue to be a significant source of pollution.

On Friday, Punjab reported 147 incidents of stubble burning, Haryana recorded 17, and Uttar Pradesh reported 232.

Between September 15 and November 22, 2024, Punjab recorded 10,443 farm fire incidents, Haryana 1,210, and Uttar Pradesh 4,100, according to satellite data.

Delhi’s air quality had plunged into the hazardous category on Monday, with the season’s highest average AQI of 495.