Delhi LG calls urgent meeting with CM and Environment Minister amidst worsening air pollution

• Delhi's LG VK Saxena calls for meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai to address the worsening air pollution crisis
• The national capital has been grappling with severe air pollution, with hazardous levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter
• Delhi tops the list of the world's most polluted cities, triggering a ban on non-essential construction work

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has raised a red flag over the rapidly declining air quality in the city and has summoned an emergency meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai, scheduled for 6:00 pm today.

The national capital has been grappling with severe air pollution, with hazardous levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter, primarily due to factors such as stubble burning in neighboring states, vehicular emissions, and adverse weather conditions. This situation poses significant health risks to Delhi's residents.

On Friday, New Delhi once again claimed the top spot in the real-time list of the world's most polluted cities, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) at 640, categorizing it as "hazardous" according to Swiss group IQAir. The concentration of toxic PM2.5 particles, known to cause serious health issues, was 53.4 times higher than the World Health Organization's annual air quality guideline value.

In response to the escalating air pollution, the pollution control panel has imposed a ban on non-essential construction and demolition activities in the national capital region as the AQI entered the "severe" category, with little relief expected due to unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions.

The air quality has further deteriorated to the "severe plus" category, raising concerns of possible emergency measures under Stage 4 of the graded action response plan (GRAP), which includes restrictions on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all forms of construction activities.