Amid the worsening air quality in the national capital, Congress leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on November 2, today flagged filthy smog blanketing Delhi. She urged CM Rekha Gupta, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Environment minister Bhupender Yadav to act, seeking “urgent intervention’.
“Returning to the Delhi air from Wayanad first, then Bachwara in Bihar is truly shocking. The pollution enveloping this city is like a grey shroud thrown over it,” Priyanka said.
She added, “It’s really about time all of us get together regardless of our political compulsions and do something about it. The central and state government need to act immediately, we will all support and cooperate with whatever actions they choose to take to mitigate this awful situation. Year after year the citizens of Delhi are subjected to this toxicity with no recourse.”
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday at some places, as sluggish wind speeds hampered the dispersal of pollutants across the city, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). As per the CPCB’s Sameer app, 17 monitoring stations registered ‘severe’ air quality levels with AQI readings above 400, with Wazirpur logging the highest at 439. Another 20 stations reported ‘very poor’ air quality, recording readings over 300.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) mentioned that wind speeds fell below 8 kmph from the northwest during the evening and night, which further limited pollutant dispersion.
An AQI between 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 satisfactory, 101–200 moderate, 201–300 poor, 301–400 very poor, and 401–500 severe.
Second automatic misting project in Delhi’s RK Puram to tackle road dust
Meanwhile, as Delhi continues to grapple with smog-like conditions, the Public Works Department (PWD) began its second project to install automatic water misting systems along major city roads, officials said on Friday.
The project is designed to reduce dust pollution, a key factor contributing to the city’s poor air quality, by spraying fine water mist along heavily trafficked routes. Similar systems have already been introduced in areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the report noted.
Under the PWD’s latest initiative, Church Road in Sector 1, RK Puram, will be equipped with the system, following the first installation on Rani Jhansi Road.
An official stated, “The department has floated a tender for the project, which involves the installation of misting nozzles along with supporting accessories. The work is expected to be completed within the next 30 days.”
The automatic misting system will reportedly be mounted on streetlight poles at an estimated cost of ₹2.5 crore. As per the tender details, the system will operate using an RO water pumping unit with a capacity of 2,000 litres per day. To safeguard the equipment, the tender document also mandates the deployment of security personnel at the installation sites.
The tender mentioned, ”The misting system will operate in two shifts – 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm. The contractor will also be responsible for a year’s defect-free liability.”
