NEW DELHI, Nov 11 — India imposed stricter anti-pollution measures in its capital New Delhi and adjoining areas today, as the air quality deteriorated to 'severe' levels.
The Commission for Air Quality Management said Stage Three of the Graded Response Action Plan was enforced today, "keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, and in an effort to prevent further deterioration."
Under Stage Three, non-essential construction is banned, and curbs on industrial activity using polluting fuels are enforced.
The Central Pollution Control Board's data revealed that Delhi's Air Quality Index hovered above 400 at several monitoring stations this morning, in the 'severe' category, as compared with 'good' readings below 50.
The move follows a weekend protest at the India Gate monument, where police detained dozens of people demanding cleaner air, a rare public demonstration against pollution in the capital.
Government satellite data showed a rise in crop stubble fires, used by farmers to clear land before the next planting, since the start of November. In the past, such fires have caused severe pollution in northern India.
However, the Indian government said the total number of farm fire incidents from September 15 to November 9 was much lower this year than in the past.
Delhi and surrounding districts are often covered in smog during winter, as cold, dense air traps emissions from vehicles, construction sites and crop burning, pushing pollution levels to among the highest in the world and exposing the capital's 30 million residents to severe respiratory risks.
