NEW DELHI: In a new series of instructions to prevent air quality from deteriorating further in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the center’s air quality panel ordered the closure of educational institutions that only allowed online education on Friday.
The Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) also ordered that industrial operations and processes in NCR that do not run on natural gas or other cleaner fuels may only operate for up to eight hours a day from Monday to Friday and not run on weekends .
“All schools, colleges and educational institutions in the NCR will remain closed and only allow online classes, except for exams and laboratory internships,” the commission said.
It also said that its earlier directions regarding industries should be continued. According to these instructions, all industries in NCR that use unapproved fuels are to be closed by their respective governments with immediate effect. The NCR states and the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) will also enforce a strict ban on the use of diesel generators with the exception of emergency services.
In its new direction, the Commission also stopped the entry of trucks into Delhi, with the exception of electric vehicles and those powered by compressed natural gas, as well as trucks carrying essential goods.
The commission instructed the state chief secretaries and the Delhi government to implement these instructions.
“The strict enforcement of these instructions and the instructions / orders issued by the commission from time to time since their introduction must be ensured by the respective bodies and their implementation, compliance with which is monitored by the chief secretaries of the respective state / GNCTD”, it said in the order the commission.
“Given the imperative to prevent further environmental degradation and improve air quality in Delhi and NCR, the Commission, in the exercise of its delegated powers (of) … the Air Quality Management Commission in National Capital, The Law on Regions and adjoining areas 2021 stipulates that these measures will be implemented with immediate effect until further notice with strict force, ”it says.
The CAQM, an executive body set up earlier this year by the Ministry of the Environment to oversee air pollution control measures in the NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, also set up task forces for each of these states to implement, enforce, monitor and maintain its compliance status Report orders.
