As Delhi air quality deteriorates, govt mulls re-imposing odd-even scheme, bans diesel gensets

New Delhi: The air quality level in the national capital breached the hazardous red zone level on Tuesday following which the authorities imposed a ban on diesel generators in the state.

As per an official of central government agency SAFAR, which monitors air pollution, burning of paddy stubble in Haryana and Punjab, meteorological conditions and recent fire breakouts at Ghazipur landfills are some of the major reasons behind the alarming level of air pollution in the national capital. 

If the air quality deteriorates further in Delhi-NCR, the Environment Protection (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) will also order the capital to switch to the odd-even road scheme. 

Meanwhile, the authorities have shut the Badarpur Power Plant and use of diesel gensets has been restricted till March 15 as part of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). However, hospitals and metro services have been exempted from this ban.

In addition, kilns have also been banned in Delhi-NCR. Only those kilns will be allowed to run that are based on the jig-jag technology. 

Under the GRAP, the pollution watchdog has the powers to order municipal bodies to charge as much as four times the parking fee from car owners to discourage them from taking out their vehicles on streets. 

The Supreme Court, earlier this month, has imposed a temporary ban on the sale of the firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region during Diwali this year to check the alarming air pollution level.

In November 2016, the apex court had directed the government to frame and implement GRAP to control air pollution under various categories of the National Air Quality Index (AQI). 

The environment ministry notified the Plan on January 17, 2017.