Delhi air continues to remain 'hazardous' even as ban on heavy vehicles plying enforced

There has been no real improvement in Delhi air pollution situation on Friday, a couple of days after Diwali when AQI had touched 999 in parts of the national capital. On Friday, at 8 AM, overall AQI stands at 426, whereas it is more than average in many high-profile areas. 

#Delhi's Anand Vihar at 585, area around US Embassy at 467 and RK Puram at 343 - all under 'Hazardous' category in Air Quality Index (AQI). pic.twitter.com/8dTUdFZzmV

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2018

Dellhi police  has ordered that heavy and medium goods vehicles (essential goods exempted) will not be allowed to enter New Delhi between 11 pm on November 8 and 11 pm on November 11.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar said on Thursday, "Heavy and medium goods vehicles will not be allowed to enter Delhi from 11 pm tonight; ban to continue till 11 pm of November 11. Vehicles carrying essential goods are exempted."The prohibition has come at a time when the air quality in the city reached the 'hazardous' level due to Diwali.

The national capital brazenly defied the Supreme Court orders against bursting firecrackers on Diwali even as a miniscule part of the city chose health over toxic smog.  The impact of the orders by the top court that regulated timings for bursting them as well as kind of crackers, was less than successful with the city covered in a blanket of haze and on Thursday morning.

Areas in east Delhi like Mayur Vihar, IP Extension, Patparganj, Ashok Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Kishangarh, Saket, Chirag Dilli in South Delhi, Moti Nagar, Mundka, Bawana, Vikaspuri, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden in west Delhi failed miserably to abide by the ruling as residents burst crackers with impunity.  People also violated the two-hour window laid by the court for fireworks, bursting before and well after the 10 PM deadline. 

'With agency inputs