Top officials of govt hold high-level meeting on pollution crisis; Cabinet Secy to monitor situation

New Delhi, Nov 03: A high-level meeting over severe pollution crisis in Delhi and other parts in Northern India was held today.

Today's meeting was attended by Principal Adviser to PM, PK Mishra, Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and Secretaries from the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Cabinet Secretariat, CPCB Chairman, DG of IMD, Cabinet Secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, and other senior officers.

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister held a high-level meeting today through video conferencing with Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, to tackle air pollution. About 300 teams are in the field in Delhi to reduce air pollution, necessary machinery for this work has been distributed in the states, ANI reported.

It was decided that Cabinet Secretary will be monitoring the situation on a daily basis. State Chief Secretaries have been asked to monitor their districts on 24x7.

P K Mishra reviewed the situation arising out of severe air pollution in the National Capital Region, and other parts of north India with senior officials from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, who joined through video-conferencing, according to a statement.

Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will monitor the alarming pollution situation in Delhi and neighbouring states on a daily basis, it was decided at a high-level meeting held a day after the chief ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab sought the Centre's intervention.

Mishra reviewed the situation arising out of burning of stubble and wastes, construction activities, and industrial and vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region and other parts of north India, the statement said.

The national capital region (NCR) and nearby areas are shrouded in a toxic haze and a public health emergency has been declared in the national capital.

The air quality in the national capital continues to worsen with the AQI in most places breaching the 999 on Sunday, a day after authorities arrested 38 people for carrying out construction activities despite the ban.

According to the government air quality monitor, the air quality index (AQI) in Bawana was recorded at 999 in Jahangirpuri, Rohini, Sonia Vihar, Shahdara, Okhla, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, Mandir Marg, Mundka, Sriniwaspuri and JNU. Other places also crossed the 900-mark.