The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday directed the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR to send in a report on the preventive steps they have taken to curb the worsening air quality in the national capital.
The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday directed the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR to send in a report on the preventive steps they have taken to curb the worsening air quality in the national capital.
An NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, the chairperson of the tribunal, pulled the state governments for their poor preparedness in tackling the situation.
"The ambient air quality is so bad that the children are not able to breathe properly. Why did you not spray water using helicopters as per our directions," Justice Swatanter Kumar asked.
Earlier in the day, the pollution level in the national capital remained critical on Tuesday morning. Due to smog-like condition on Tuesday the visibility early in the morning remained low, causing problems in movement of traffic.
According to reports, the visibility dropped to 200 metres at 8:30 am.
The average air quality index (AQI) also hit 396 (very poor) at 8am, which further peaked by 9.30am to 403 indicating severe pollution level. AQI in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden was 420, whereas it was 319 in Anand Vihar.
The pollution was recorded highest in Punjabi Bagh with AQI 999 and 852 in R.K. Puram. The air quality in Dwarka and NCR also hovered between 400-420.
AQI level from 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 is "satisfactory" 101-200 is "moderate", 201-300 is "poor", 301-400 is "very poor", and 401 and above is "severe".
In August this year, the NGT had pulled up the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan over continuous stubble burning, one of the main causes of smog during the winter in north India.
However, farmers in October said that they would continue to burn stubble, as they find it the most economic way of getting rid of crop residue.
According to estimates, over 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble is burnt across these states before sowing of the wheat crops. These fires emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide among other gases.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Gurugram")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}