News Delhi Air pollution menace looms large, Delhi L-G writes to Punjab and Haryana CMs on stubble burning

Air pollution menace looms large, Delhi L-G writes to Punjab and Haryana CMs on stubble burning

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, P K Mishra also chaired a high-level task force meeting on air pollution in Delhi-NCR and reviewed the preparedness to deal with the issue of adverse air quality in the region as the winter season approaches.

Stubble burning (Picture for representation) Image Source : FILEStubble burning (Picture for representation)

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday wrote to Punjab and Haryana Chief Ministers on stubble burning and pollution. "I urge you to galvanise all available resources and make the farmers willing partners in defeating this deadly menace," he said in the letter.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature in the national capital on Saturday settled at 21.4 degree Celsius, two notches above the season's average, officials said. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 260, in the 'poor' category, around 8 am. The IMD has predicted a mainly clear sky becoming partly cloudy towards afternoon or evening. The maximum temperature is likely to settle at 36 degrees Celsius.

The humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 83 per cent. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the city government has formed interdepartmental teams to improve air quality at the 13 air pollution hotspots in the capital. The 13 identified hotspots are Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri, Dwarka. These hotspots were identified based on the annual average concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in these areas.

With PTI inputs