Air pollution woes continue across regions of India, especially in Mumbai and Delhi NCR. To combat the worsening levels of Air Quality Index (AQI), the Commission
for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued an order of restrictions from November 5-20, wherein physical attendance at government and private offices in five high-density vehicle districts in NCR will be capped at 50%, with the rest being Work From Home (WFH). Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav also announced a complete halt on construction and demolition across the NCR, during the festive season. The Delhi Government had already levied restrictions from November 1. The formal WFH orders in the NCR extends across the regions of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Gurgaon, Sonipat, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. Minister Bhupendra Yadav says construction and demolition has been a major pollution source with inadequate regulation. The WFH order targets vehicle emissions in the districts where traffic density is highest. Yadav also noted that Delhi had unusually good October air quality due to favourable circumstances, so the restrictions come ahead of the worse months. Other restrictions and curbs have also been discussed and considered by the Government. More than 30 rounds of meetings have taken place, said Minister Yadav, with states and corporations over the past year, producing integrated action plans by February-March, with targets for road repairs, mechanical sweeping, industrial monitoring systems and the shift from CNG to electric buses. Older vehicles are to be scrapped also, he added. Yadav acknowledged that significant challenges remain, asabout 60% of harvesting is done in Punjab and about 50% in Haryana, he said. He added that roughly 40% of crop residue is going to ex-situ management, meeting last year’s target. The goal is 60% within one to two years, with startups to be engaged from November, the Union Minister added.
