New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced various emergency measures, including closure of schools for a week, ban on construction activities and work from home for government employees, to deal with the pollution crisis faced by the city.
The Supreme Court earlier on Saturday termed the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR an "emergency" situation and asked the Centre and the Delhi government to take emergency measures to improve the air quality. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the situation of pollution is so bad that people are wearing masks inside their houses.
"Everybody has the passion of blaming farmers. Have you seen how crackers are being burnt in Delhi for the last seven days? It is an emergency situation, multiple measures are needed to be taken on the ground level," the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant, said.
The Delhi Chief Minister announced the four-step pollution control plan as the national capital remains under a blanket of toxic smog for over a week now. The pollution level in the city remained in the ‘severe’ category on Saturday morning, with the AQI being recorded at 473.
The chief minister, after an emergency meeting, told reporters that his government will also present a proposal for lockdown before the Supreme Court. Terming the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR an "emergency" situation, the Supreme Court asked the Centre and the Delhi government on Saturday to take immediate measures to improve the air quality and suggested steps such as stopping vehicles and clamping a lockdown in the national capital.
Kejriwal said the schools will remain closed for one week from Monday in view of high air pollution levels. Work from home will be implemented concerning government offices and a separate advisory on it will be issued for private offices, he said.
Construction activities will be prohibited in Delhi from November 14 to 17. The chief minister said that pollution level is rising in Delhi due to stubble burning in neighbouring states and called upon all stakeholders to work together to combat it. (With Agency Inputs)