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The national capital woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog on Saturday morning, significantly impairing visibility and affecting residents. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading stood at 380 at around 7 a.m., falling into the 'very poor' category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). However, the air quality spiked to 'severe' levels at certain places.
Several parts of the city continued to witness alarmingly high pollution levels. According CPCB, the AQI figure at Sarai Kale Khan stood at 428, while Akshardham recorded an AQI of 420. Rao Tularam Marg recorded an AQI of 403, and the Barapullah flyover area recorded 380. Other pollution hotspots included Anand Vihar (428), Ashok Vihar (407), and the ITO area (429), also falling under the 'severe' category across large swathes of the national capital. In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked all measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV across Delhi-NCR. The restrictions under GRAP-IV include a ban on non-essential construction activities, entry of certain diesel vehicles, and enhanced enforcement to curb pollution sources. According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. Earlier, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa conducted surprise inspections at several petrol pumps, including those at the Delhi-Gurugram border and Janpath, to review compliance with the 'No PUC, No Fuel' directive. He interacted with pump staff and instructed them to enforce the rules while remaining calm and courteous. He said, "You are the first point of contact in this campaign. Cooperate with people and explain to them that this rule is for their health and the health of their children." The Minister also directed that clear signboards, announcements, and better queue management be ensured. Speaking to vehicle owners on the spot, he said, "This is not a matter of issuing challans; it is a question of clean air. Every valid PUCC issued today is a small victory in our fight against pollution." On December 17, 29,938 PUCCs were issued in Delhi. On December 18, up to 5.20 pm, 31,974 new certificates were issued. Thus, the total crossed 61,000 in nearly one day. The government expects the number of people obtaining PUCCs before refuelling petrol or diesel to increase further. The Minister said, "More than 60,000 people getting their PUCCs in a single day shows that when citizens trust that steps are being taken in the public interest, they extend full cooperation." (ANI)
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