Air pollution: Delhi extends ban on entry of trucks, WFH for government employees till November 26

By Sanjay Maurya

The authorities have been concerned about the air quality and pollution levels in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) since the beginning of November, and the Delhi government is taking many initiatives to battle the problem and make the air breathable for all inhabitants. To reduce air pollution in the national capital, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi administration has decided to extend work from home for all government workers till November 26 and put a ban on vehicles carrying non-essential products entering the city from the outside.

The government offices shall stay closed till November 26, 2021, excluding those engaging in critical services, the Delhi government announced in an official statement. It is recommended that private offices enable their employees to work from home until November 26, 2021. In response to increasing pollution levels, the Delhi government slapped a stop on all building and demolition activity in the state last week. This ban has been lifted as a result of a new government directive. Delhi’s schools and colleges would be closed until further notice as well.

The Kejriwal government opted to encourage public transportation by leasing around 500 buses from commercial operators as part of other measures to reduce air pollution in the Delhi NCR. To combat air pollution, water sprinkling devices have been installed around Delhi.

List of the most polluted zones in Delhi (22 November 2021):-

1. Anand Vihar–AQI 424 (severe)
2. Ashok Vihar- AQI 395
3. CRRI Mathura Road- AQI 391
4. Chandni Chowk- AQI 361
5. Dwarka Sector 8- AQI 400 (Severe)
6. IGI airport- AQI 361
7. ITO- AQI 390
8. Jhangirpuri- AQI 430 (severe)
9. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium- AQI 381
10. Lodhi road- AQI 315
11. Major Dhayan Chand National Stadium- AQI 389
12. Najafgharh- AQI 364
13. Nehru Nagar- AQI 364
14. Narela- AQI 382 (severe)
15. Patparganj- AQI 397
16. Punjabi Bagh- AQI 394
17. RK Puram- AQI 404
18. Rohini- AQI 406 (severe)
19. Shadipur- AQI 397
20. Vivek Vihar- AQI 413 (severe)

In light of the current air pollution, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) permitted standing passengers in Metro trains and buses to increase the carrying capacity of public transportation systems and allow more people to utilize them instead of private vehicles. The DDMA issued an order allowing 30 standing passengers each Metro rail coach. The maximum number of people allowed to travel in standing posture on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster buses would be 50% of the seating capacity.