Delhi pollution: NGT to take call on odd-even today; air quality remains 'severe'

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NEW DELHI: With marginally lesser smog, Delhi on Saturday continued to reel under severe air quality conditions.

Although the thick smog is likely to disperse, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to maintain its severity across Delhi-NCR.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will decide on the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government's move to implement the odd-even scheme.  

A day before, the green court had rapped the Delhi government for apparently doing 'nothing' to control the toxic air pollution. the body also claimed that both PM10 and PM2.5 levels remained higher after odd-even was implemented last year in the city.  

"Prove whether the odd-even scheme reduced the pollution in the air or else we will stay the imposition of the scheme," the tribunal had told Delhi government yesterday.

Questioning the rationale behind the Delhi government's decision, the NGT further asserted that it could put on hold the car rationing scheme until proven 'productive'.

"The odd-even formula cannot be imposed like this. When the situation is improving, the government is trying to implement it. You should have done this earlier if you wanted to. This will now cause inconvenience to people," the tribunal bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said on Friday.

Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5, less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, which can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs and blood cells, soared dangerously in the national capital and adjoining regions. 

On Sunday morning, at 7:25 am, the monitoring stations under the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed the city's air as severe:

Anand Vihar: 415
RK Puram: 322
Mandir Marg: 311
Punjabi Bagh: 199

Pawan Hans Helicopters, an aviation entity under the Centre, has agreed for aerial sprinkling in Delhi to curb smog after National Green Tribunal directed the state and Centre seeking immediate measures to control pollution.

As many as 64 trains were delayed while 14 others were rescheduled and two got cancelled due to smog conditions in the national capital.

All schools shut: 

The Delhi government has ordered all the schools in the state to remain shut till Sunday. The schools in Gurugram were closed on November 10 and will remain shut on November 11.