- Delhi's air quality hit 'very poor' (AQI 307) Monday morning.
- Pollution worsened despite 'Winter Action Plan' measures kicking in.
- Authorities turned back 1,539 non-BS VI vehicles at borders.
Delhi AQI: Delhi woke up to rising air pollution as air quality deteriorated to the 'very poor' category, with an AQI of 307 on Monday morning, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marks the first-ever AQI over 300 this season. A thick blanket of smog clad the skies above the national capital even before a week of Diwali.
The latest reading comes a day after stringent pollution-curbing measures as part of Delhi's 'Winter Action Plan' kicked in. Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 261 on Sunday, also in the 'poor' category.
This marks a steep degradation from Saturday when the air quality was 'moderate' at 117. Last week, the breathability of the air had increased due to a spell of rainfall.
AQI in some areas of Delhi
- Anand Vihar 252
- Badarpur 251
- Bawana 361
- Burari: 353
- Chandni Chowk: 360
- Dwarka: 355
- IGI: 284
- IIT: 334
- Jahangirpuri: 417
- Mundka: 376
- Okhla: 348
- Patparganj: 355
- Wazirpur: 321
On Sunday, checkpoints were installed at border areas to stop non-BS VI vehicles from entering Delhi. The enforcement teams checked over 15,000 vehicles and turned back 1,539 at border points and issued 566 challans for violations of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) norms.
As per data available till 5 pm on Sunday, the total amount comprised Rs 56.6 lakh in penalties for pollution certificate violations and Rs 2 lakh in fines for violations of border entry restrictions. Rs 9.8 lakh fine was imposed for environmental compensation for construction and demolition-related violations.
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Under the enforcement of the ban on non-Delhi non-BS-VI vehicles, 14,930 vehicles were checked by the teams of Traffic Police and the Transport Department. About 10.31 per cent of these vehicles were turned back. Up to 127 challans were issued, and 62 vehicles were impounded as well, with Delhi Traffic Police's enforcement teams imposing fines amounting to Rs 2 lakh.