The Delhi government has identified five critically polluted areas in the city after examining the post-Diwali pollution data and asked the municipal corporations and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to intensify anti-pollution actions at these locations.
The critically polluted areas are Wazirpur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Vivek Vihar and Bawana. On Wednesday, Anand Vihar was the most polluted area in the national capital with an AQI of 464; it was followed by Wazirpur with an AQI of 462.
Ashok Vihar, Vivek Vihar and Bawana recorded their AQI at 457, 453 and 457.
"Looking at the values of PM10 and PM2.5 for the last three days, five locations have been identified as critically polluted areas in Delhi. The air quality remained in very poor/severe category for the last two days at these locations," the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
After taking stock of the situation, Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev directed the municipal corporations and the DPCC to intensify anti-pollution measures, including water sprinkling and mechanised road sweeping, in the areas.
Dev asked the authorities to show zero tolerance towards violation of dust pollution control norms and illegal dumping and burning of construction and demolition waste and garbage.
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The East Delhi Municipal Corporation in consultation with the DPCC has deployed 10 mechanised road-sweeping machines and 40 water sprinklers in Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar. The North Delhi corporation has pressed into service seven mechanised road-sweeping machines and 46 water sprinklers in Wazirpur, Ashok Vihar and Bawana.
Water sprinkling is being done every six hours in the five critical areas, officials said.
The North Delhi corporation also issued 42 challans in Bawana and Narela and levied a cumulative penalty Rs 1.25 lakh for violation of dust pollution control and garbage burning norms. It issued 12 challans amounting Rs 1.30 lakh in Wazirpur.
The East Delhi corporation issued 21 challans and levied a fine of Rs 1.90 lakh in Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar.
Over the last week, 16,000 tonnes of construction and demolition debris have been lifted, water sprinkling at pollution hot spots carried out and mechanized road sweeping intensified round-the-clock, the environment department said.
Additionally, DPCC has deployed 16 night-patrolling teams to impose environmental compensation on those responsible for dumping and burning of construction and demolition waste and garbage.
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