Delhi's air quality has now dropped down to "very poor" amid Dussehra festivities. This weekend's Dussehra celebrations saw firecrackers being burst throughout the city. This comes amid authorities urging people to not burst firecrackers and celebrate the festival in a more eco-friendly manner.
By Saturday evening, a massive haze was seen settling over the city and dropped the quality of air even further, reported NDTV. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also pointed out that there are a number of factors that have gone into dropping the Delhi's air quality, including construction work in the city, pollution from vehicles as well as the wind carrying pollutants from stubble burning farms surrounding the NCR.
The pollution levels actually shot up, notes the report right after GRAP emergency measures were put in place by the Delhi government. Now that the air quality has dipped to "very poor", parking fees are set to triple or even quadruple as a way to discourage commuters from using their own vehicles while the Delhi Metro and bus services will be further expanded by way of increased frequency, notes the report.
If the air quality continues to drop, it could reach the "severe" category, where more serious steps will be taken by the government, notes the report. This will include sprinkling water on roads to contain the dust as well as identifying the roads that generate the most dust.
"Severe+", a new category that has been introduced by the CPCB. If the quality of air drops to that level, the Delhi government could block all trucks from entering the city except for essential goods. Even schools could be shut down until the air quality gets better, notes the report.
