NEW DELHI: With air quality bound to deteriorate in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or EPCA, is likely to implement measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as per the 'severe' air quality category from Monday.
In this regard, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Friday formed a task force to give suggestions to EPCA, such as closure of industries and construction activities as well as intensified traffic regulation between November 1 and 10.
Furthermore, brick kilns, hot mix plants, stone crushers in and around the Capital would be shut down.
"The situation is worsening and we will monitor the condition for 48 hours, before changing the GRAP. If necessary, GRAP for 'severe' air quality will come into play, hence restrictions will increase," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.
"All construction activities which produce dust should be stopped across Delhi-NCR from November 1 and 10. Coal and biomass-based industries should be shut from November 4 to 10, except waste-to-energy units and thermal power plants across NCR," Prashant Gargava, member secretary, CPCB told media persons on Friday.
Pollution is expected to spike around Diwali due to unfavourable westerly and north-westerly winds coming from Punjab and Haryana, where stubble-burning has been intensified.
The additional pollutants may not dissipate due to lower morning temperature in this period.
Additional festival rush and fire crackers, which this year are not banned by the Supreme Court, are also set to lead to a polluted Diwali, CPCB said.
The task force has also requested EPCA to ask the traffic department of Delhi and satellite cities like Ghaziabad and Faridabad in NCR to intensify checks on polluting vehicles and proper regulation from November 1 to 10 to control the pollution.