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Air quality across Delhi-NCR deteriorated as the Air Quality Index slipped into the poor category, breaching the 240 mark in late October. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan across the national capital region. Under GRAP 1 measures, authorities have intensified water sprinkling, mechanized road sweeping, and dust control inspections at construction sites, while over 250 anti-smog guns have been deployed. Restrictions have been placed on non-compliant commercial and diesel vehicles entering Delhi, alongside curbs on open waste burning and coal-based stoves. The India Meteorological Department flagged unfavourable wind conditions and geographical trapping of pollution as contributing factors, alongside local industrial emissions, vehicular traffic, and rising stubble burning cases in Punjab and Haryana. To encourage public transport and reduce vehicular emissions, the Delhi Metro announced 20 additional train trips on weekdays, with additional government measures planned for implementation ahead of the winter season.

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00:00Because as we are now inching closer to the end of October, it's that time of the year again when
00:06the national capital comes out to be choking under the worsening air quality.
00:12And today, this is the breaking news right now that we'll be bringing to you how the air quality has
00:16already started dipping quite low.
00:18So 200, it's already crossed 200 for that matter. 238 is the current AQI in the national capital and it's
00:27within the poor category already.
00:30October 21st, what was recorded was 214 AQI and right now we do see that the situation and Delhi, in
00:38fact, national capital is in fact quietly bracing for the situation to only get worse
00:43because that's what we've seen year after year. Delhi battling with this poor air quality during winters as it has,
00:51there's a nip in the air already.
00:52It has gotten chillier and mornings we do see a haze setting in stricter pollution control measures have been put
01:01into place.
01:02Grap 1 has already been invoked and what we see is that dust control measures have been put in place
01:07with ban put on all construction activities from November 1st
01:11and 20 additional metros to be starting to run on weekdays from today onwards.
01:17Let's quickly take a look at the responses first and the reactions first before we proceed with more details.
01:22The government wants to get all the people of Delhi who have the right to get the right to their
01:28rights.
01:28So, Grap 1 has put it in place. It's okay, but at least we need to reduce the pollution, it's
01:33our job.
01:34We'll be able to do it and do it.
02:04We'll be able to do it again.
02:06Today, the AQI is above the 250 mark which means that it is yet again in the very poor category.
02:12Now, according to the meteorological department, the AQI conditions out here in Delhi NCR could deteriorate over the next few
02:19days as the wind conditions are such.
02:22There are two main reasons that are being suggested for the deteriorating AQI out here in Delhi NCR.
02:27The first and the obvious being is the internal source of pollution that Delhi emits, be it through vehicles, be
02:34it through construction or the local industries out here in the national capital.
02:38And the second one is the increase in cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
02:45More than 150 cases of stubble burning have already been reported from Punjab.
02:50Most of these cases have come in from the Amritsar Tarantaran belt where the process of burning stubble has already
02:56started.
02:57Apart from this, there are certain cases that have come in from Haryana as well.
03:01And these two cases have ensured that Delhi is starting to turn itself into a gas chamber as we see
03:07inventors every year.
03:09As a precautionary measure, the government has already gone ahead and announced GRAP 1 restrictions that would be imposed from
03:15today out here in Delhi NCR.
03:18Which means that vehicles that are not BS6 compliant, that do not have a legal POC certificate or commercial vehicles
03:28that are operating on diesels would not be allowed to enter inside the borders of Delhi from today itself.
03:36Apart from that, clear mandate has also been given that no food should be cooked on stoves based out of
03:44coal and wood fire as well.
03:47The third most important restrictions that have been imposed from the side of the Delhi government is the construction.
03:54Any construction that is happening, they should ensure that the raw material that is put out in the open, that
04:00should be covered and constant sprinkling of water should be done.
04:03Now, it remains to be seen that as these restrictions have been put in force from today itself, how much
04:08of an impact will it actually have on the deteriorating AQI of the national capital?
04:13Because as the IMD predicts that the wind conditions are such that pollution could reach the national capital and then
04:21stay over here due to the geographical location of Delhi.
04:24So, these restrictions have been imposed and IMD predicts that the AQI could deteriorate, it remains to be seen.
04:30What are the other steps that the Delhi government could take to ensure that the AQI out here in the
04:37national capital remains under control?
04:39And the manner in which people of Delhi NCR face this issue every year where there is a massive shortage
04:47of even breathing clean air is something that should be ascertained by the Delhi government to ensure that people this
04:56time around should not face the issues that they have been facing from the past many, many years.
05:07It's October 22nd and Akshar Dham already looking a little hised out in the background.
05:14And this is just the beginning of it.
05:16That is a battle that Delhi has been fighting for years now.
05:20As Delhi's pollution season officially arrives this year, the air quality in the national capital has already entered the poor
05:27quality, recorded at 2.44 on Wednesday.
05:31And with that, the CAQM has invoked the Stage 1 of the Grap across Delhi NCR.
05:35Under Grap 1, authorities will be intensifying road sweeping, water sprinkling, construction dust control and checks against open waste, burning
05:43and polluting vehicles.
05:44The Delhi government has outlined a wider winter pollution plan this time, including a staggered office timings, proposed 50%
05:53work from home for all offices and restrictions on construction activities and the non-BS6 vehicles entering Delhi from November
06:011st.
06:02Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa says the capital recorded 214 days of good or moderate air quality this year,
06:09which, according to him, is the highest in the 12 years.
06:13And joining the pollution fight, the Delhi Metro will also be adding and running 20 additional train trips on weekdays,
06:21starting today onwards, while intensifying the dust control drives at construction sites.
06:28इस साल अब तक के सबसे ज्यादा पिछले 12 सालों में सबसे ज्यादा गुड़ और मॉडरेट साफ हवा के दिन
06:39214, अगर हम COVID का एक साल निकाल दें,
06:43तो 214, अब तक का 12 साल का रिकॉर्ड है, जो दिली की रेखा गुपता जी की सरकार ने,
06:52दिली की पुब्लिक पार्टी स्पेशन के साथ, जन भागयदारी के साथ, लोगों के सायोग के कारण ये संबभ हुआ है.
07:01So, viewers, as we were just telling you, how the Delhi metros this year shall also be joining the pollution
07:07fight and helping the situation out by adding 20 additional metro trips on weekdays from today onward, that is October
07:1422nd.
07:15How will this help out and what will the measure exactly be?
07:19Extra weekday services will be boosting public transport, so people will have more trains, metro trains that is, to travel
07:27by instead of taking vehicles by road.
07:29which oftentimes adds to the pollution in the atmosphere.
07:33Anti-pollution drives will be conducted at construction sites.
07:36Over 250 anti-smog guns have already been installed, while dust control and road cleaning inspections have been intensified.
07:46This is what we see in terms of measures that are being taken right now to handle the situation at
07:53hand, that is a worsening AQI in the national capital.

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