Delhi: Air quality shows improvement but still ‘severe’; entry of trucks banned till Nov 11

New Delhi: The air quality in the national capital showed little improvement on Friday but the pollution level still remains at ‘dangerous’ level. A ban has been imposed on the entry of trucks and other heavy vehicles in Delhi till November 11 as a control measure to curb the pollution level that spiked had exponentially after the residents of the region flouted Supreme Court’s restrictions on firecrackers on Diwali night. People have been complaining of difficulty in breathing since Thursday as the air quality deteriorated to worst-ever 999-mark, the morning after Diwali. The Air Quality Index today was recorded 368 in R K Puram, 995 in Anand Vihar, 496 in Punjabi Bagh, 474 in Mandir Marg, 635 in Shahadara, 401 in Dwarka, 370 in Sonia Vihar, 541 in Wazirpur and 406 in Faridabad. Delhi's pollution level post-Diwali nearly doubled in comparison to last year as people burst firecrackers before and after the Supreme Court stipulated time frame of 8 pm to 10 pm. On Thurdsay AQI was recorded as ‘severe plus emergency’ at 642, while in the year 2017, the day after Diwali the AQI was 367 and in 2016 it was 425. Measures The  Environment Protection Authority appointed by Supreme Court on Thursday said it was closely monitoring the situation and if the pollution shows an increasing trend then emergency measures will be imposed in the national capital. The measures like banning entry of heavy vehicles and odd-even scheme are implemented if the air quality slips to severe plus emergency category. The Delhi government's transport department has already banned the entry of heavy vehicles in the city from 11 pm on Thursday to 11 pm on November 11 based on the recommendation of the Central Pollution Control Board.  However, vehicles carrying essential commodities like rice, wheat, vegetables, milk, petrol etc are being allowed, rest are being sent back.

Checking being conducted at Singhu Border as heavy & medium goods vehicles (essential goods exempted) aren't allowed to enter Delhi b/w 11 pm on 8th Nov to 11 pm on 11th Nov. SI Ramesh says,"allowed HTV/MGV trucks carrying rice,wheat, vegetables, milk, petrol etc. Rest sent back" pic.twitter.com/MQNv7Q2bFr

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2018