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Delhi

Step up surveillance: EPCA to Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: The Supreme Court-mandated anti-pollution authority, EPCA, on Monday asked Delhi and NCR states to step up surveillance and enforcement to check local sources of pollution and crop burning in view of a predicted dip in air quality in the next two-three days.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority Chairman Bhure Lal said hot mix plants, ready mix plants and stone crushers will continue to remain closed in Delhi-NCR.

The Supreme Court had on November 4 banned construction and demolition activities in the region till further notice.

"The air in the region has finally improved after days of dense and highly hazardous smog. This is the result of high winds and good ventilation index we have seen over the past few days," Bhure Lal said.

However, he said, the India Meteorological Department has alerted that the next few days — from Tuesday to Thursday — will witness slow wind speed and very little ventilation.

Under such circumstances, dispersion of pollutants will not happen and there is a likelihood that the air quality will slip back into the 'very poor' category and even the 'severe' category, the EPCA chief said.

The situation will worsen if there's light rain, which would be inadequate to wash away the pollutants and add to the moisture instead, he said.

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