Delhi, NCR Air Pollution: Arvind Kejriwal recommends suspension of DPCC chairman

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has recommended the suspension of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman Ashwani Kumar, who has been accused of preventing a study aimed at determining the pollution sources in the national capital. Kumar has also been accused of shutting down an anti-smog tower, an official said.

Over the past four days, the Delhi Traffic Police has fined over 4,700 vehicle owners for driving without a pollution under control (PUC) certificate, officials told news agency PTI. The traffic police action comes amid the prevailing poor air quality in the region.

"The issue of pollution has persisted in Delhi for many years now and nothing has been done to resolve it. Online classes are not a solution because there are many students who lack the equipment necessary for online mode of learning," Ajit Mishra, the father of a class 2 student, told PTI.

“Supreme Court's concern is natural. The suggestion given by the SC that there should be no politics in this and stubble burning should be stopped is right,” Union MoS Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Choubey said, while speaking to news agency ANI.

Over 19,000 cases of stubble burning in Punjab, considered as one of the major factors of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, was reported till November 6.

“The data that has come to us till November 6 shows that the total number of such cases is 19,463. Last year, approximately 30,000 cases came…According to these data, we have recorded a 35 percent reduction from last year,” Punjab Pollution Control Board chief Adarsh Pal Vig said.

“In the past few days, stubble-burning cases have increased. This is a matter of concern. Our team and officers are going on the ground to manage according to the action plan,” he added.

Schools in Noida have been asked by the administration to suspend offline classes up to 9th grade till November 10, in view of the prevailing air pollution.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "The Supreme Court has given its observations related to stubble burning, firecrackers, and air pollution in Delhi...Our government will implement the order of the Supreme Court...The problem of pollution is the problem of the whole of North India. I request to all governments that if we implement all the steps to reduce pollution, we will succeed."

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai convened a meeting on November 6 to discuss the issue of increasing pollution. The meeting called for strict implementation of GRAP-4. Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to invoke Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on November 5. GRAP is a set of guidelines and measures implemented in the capital to control air pollution.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Gurgaon Police advisory said, “The general public is hereby informed that due to poor air quality in Delhi-NCR, as per the rules of GRAP, heavy vehicles, commercial vehicles with BS 3 petrol engines, BS 4 diesel vehicles, LMV (four-wheelers), are restricted from entering the Delhi-NCR area.”

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: ‘Severe’ air quality was registered at various stations across Delhi, NCR. According to CPCB data, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Anand Vihar station stood at 440, in Jahangirpuri it was at 416, in IGI Airport it was at 404, in Pusa Road it was at 337, in Sonia Vihar it was at 407, in Narela it stood at 388, in Punjabi Bagh it stood at 434, in RK Puram it stood at and in Shadipur it stood at 408.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Supreme Court noted that schemes like odd-even for vehicles to curb pollution issue are mere optics. Supreme Court will hear the air pollution matter on November 10.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, "Supreme Court should first end pollution of Delhi and Haryana. Earlier Kejriwal used to defame us but now it's their government in Punjab. It's Government of India's responsibility. The farmers of Punjab who give grains to the country are being defamed today."

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Supreme Court instructed Delhi government to repair non-functional smog tower.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Supreme Court orders the states of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to stop stubble burning immediately. Supreme Court further made chief secretaries and DGPs concerned responsible to supervise the the process of putting the order into effect.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Indian Agricultural Research Institute reported a total of 4,160 farm fires from North India on November 5. According to Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data 3,230 incidents of stubble burning were from Punjab.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Supreme Court said that there can't be a political battle all the time and ordered Punjab government to stop the stubble burning. Supreme Court said, “We want it (stubble burning) stopped. We don't know how you do it, it’s your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately.”

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: BJP MP Parvesh Verma said, “In Punjab, cases of stubble burning have increased by 700 per cent as compared to last year... Arvind Kejriwal is going for election campaigning in other states... If he had done something for Delhi, we would not have seen this. I would suggest he leave political tourism and pay attention to Delhi...The Indian government is doing its work. The stubble burning cases have decreased in Haryana.”

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: The air quality in the capital was 30 to 40 times the healthy limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre according to standards set by World Health Organization (WHO).

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: As per CPCB data of November 6, 6 cities in the list of 229 cities in India registered ‘severe’ air quality, 26 cities registered ‘very poor’ air quality, 43 cities registered ‘poor’ air quality, 93 cities registered ‘moderate air quality while a total of 61 cities were in ‘satisfactory’ and 'good’ range.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Central Pollution Control Board advises public to use ‘green crackers,’ amid ‘hazardous’ air quality situation in Delhi, NCR and deteriorating air quality in neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, ahead of Diwali.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: The concentration of PM2.5 concentration exceeds government-prescribed safe limit by 7 to 8 times at several locations across Delhi, NCR.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi government launched a study to identify different sources of pollution in the city and take mitigating action accordingly was recently halted on the orders of Delhi Pollution Control Committee Chairman Ashwani Kumar alleged Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: On November 3, 24-hour average AQI was '468' which was the worst since the previous high of ‘471’ that was registered in the year 2021 on November 12.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data shows that between October 27 and November 3 Delhi's AQI surged by over 200 points and registered ‘severe plus’ air quality on November 3.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Delhi revealed that total of 4,160 farm fires were reported from North India on November 5 which is the highest in this season so far.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi shrouded in a layer of smog over which a morning walker said, "Everyone is facing problems because of smog... It is harmful for our health... The government should pay attention to controlling this..."

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal convened a meeting with senior officials of his government on November 6 to review the implementation of an action plan to control ‘severe’ air pollution situation in Delhi.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi witnesses peak pollution from November 1 to 15 every year when stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana increases, according to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) report.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Restrictions under stage IV of GRAP was imposed on November 5, that includes a ban on all kinds of construction work and the entry of polluting trucks into the capital.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said 50 per cent of staff in government and private offices will work from home after Diwali.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi-NCR region will likely witness severe air quality for another 5 days as per a statement by the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Senior consultant in pulmonology and critical care at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Rajesh Chawla said breathing in Delhi's polluted air is equal to smoking 10 cigarettes a day

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Expecting air pollution levels to deteriorate further post-Diwali, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced the re-introduction of odd-even scheme. Under this scheme cars are allowed to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even number plates.

Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE News Updates: Delhi's average AQI on Tuesday morning stood at 399 according to Safar with several locations across Delhi-NCR registering hazardous AQI above'400' on a scale of 500. 

Several cities in neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh also reported hazardous air quality. Ghaziabad reported an AQI of 391, Gurugram reported an AQI of 373, Noida reported an AQI of 384, Greater Noida reported an AQI of 420 and Faridabad reported an AQI of 412 on Tuesday morning.