NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The government of India’s national capital territory of Delhi has announced a spate of measures to curb air pollution during winter, ‌months ahead of the annual season when the city often becomes the world’s most polluted.
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- Government data from the last three years indicates that Delhi’s air quality deteriorates from November 1 to February 15, when the average air quality â index (AQI) generally ranges from 312 to 342. An AQI of 0-50 is considered to be “good”.
- Authorities earlier imposed anti-pollution measures during this period according to a graded action plan when air quality dropped below a certain level.
- Under the new curbs announced on Wednesday, they will now be in place continuously from November 1 to February 28, irrespective of AQI.
- These include doubling of ‌parking â charges to discourage use of private vehicles, staggered timings at all government offices, and a ban on all outdoor civil construction activity except essential public infrastructure projects.
- Between November 1 and January 31, all â government and private offices will also be mandated to operate with half their staff physically present and the rest working from home.
- Violators will â face penal action, including prosecution, the announcement said.
- The government this week also announced a cash incentive of over $1,000 to car â owners willing to scrap their old vehicles for EVs as part of a new policy aimed at reducing pollution.
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