Manish Sisodia urges Delhiites to use alternate transport modes amid pollution concerns

In response to worsening air pollution in the national capital, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia asked residents to take at least a day out to travel via cycle/bus amid rise in air pollution. On Sunday, he made the remarks while flagging off a cycle rally in West Vinod Nagar, Patparganj, as part of the Delhi government's Rahagiri initiative. He also urged that those working in the construction industry develop technology that decreases pollution during construction.

"We're taking Rahgiri to every corner of Delhi. Initially, it'll be organized at 6 locations in 6 weeks. The message is to reduce pollution on your part", he tweeted.
He further said that "To reduce pollution, foremost responsibility lies with the govt to make rules & regulations. Then the industrial sector and thirdly, we as individuals; take out at least a day to travel via cycle/bus".
"People can ride a cycle at least once a month to prevent pollution and save the environment for future generations," said Sisodia.

Manish Sisodia urges Delhiites to take out a day to travel via cycle/bus

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, Delhi's air quality improved somewhat on Sunday. The level of pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), particularly in Noida and Gurugram, remains alarming. The air quality in Noida was in the 'hazardous' category at 536, while Gurugram's air quality was at the higher end of the 'severe' category at 423. According to SAFAR, the AQI is expected to improve in two days when winds at the transport level (925 mb) slow, resulting in less farm fire-related pollution entering Delhi. However, as local winds settle and minimum temperatures drop, efficient dispersion of pollutants is hampered, resulting in an improvement in air quality to the upper end of the very poor category or the lower end of the severe category, according to the report. SAFAR reported that the effective fire count was lowered to 3,157 on Saturday, November 13. AQI values of 0-50 are regarded good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe/hazardous, according to government agencies.

Delhi government establishes a 'pollution lockdown'; schools shut

The Delhi administration has established a 'pollution lockdown' in which schools will be physically closed for a week beginning Monday, November 15 to address growing levels of air pollution in the national capital. Because classes would be held online, students would not be exposed to dangerous air. In light of the extreme air pollution, a Supreme Court panel comprised of Chief Justice NV Raman, Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant suggested a two-day lockdown in the national capital earlier on Saturday. All construction work in Delhi has been paused from November 14 to November 17. After chairing a high-level emergency meeting with senior officials, CM Kejriwal announced the decision. Employees in government offices would be requested to work from home (WFH) at full capacity for a week, while private offices will be advised to use the WFH (work from home) option as much as feasible, according to Kejriwal.

With inputs from ANI

IMAGE: ANI