Over 1,500 polluting units shut in NCR: CAQM, Pg3

Key Highlights:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reported the closure of 1,515 polluting units in NCR.
• The closed units include 264 in Delhi, 234 in Haryana, 637 in Uttar Pradesh, and 121 in Rajasthan.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has commissioned IIT Kanpur to re-examine particulate matter (PM) standards for emission-intensive industrial sectors.
• Delhi's AQI was in the 'very poor' category at 351, improving from 377 the previous day, according to the CPCB.

Detailed Insights:

• Approximately 11,000 out of 50,000 operational industries in Delhi-NCR fall under the air-polluting category due to their manufacturing processes, fuel use, or emissions.
• While industries within Delhi contribute about 10% to the city's particulate levels, emissions transported from surrounding NCR districts can contribute up to two-thirds of Delhi’s PM2.5.
• The CPCB classifies industrial sectors using a pollution index, with 'Red' category industries facing the strictest emission standards.
• CAQM rules focus on limiting smoke from units using biomass or low-sulphur liquid fuels and establishing a uniform fuel list for all four NCR states, restricting coal and high-sulphur oils.
• A report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to the National Green Tribunal inspected 34 premises in Narela and Bawana industrial areas.
• Only some polluting industries in the NCR have real-time emissions reporting, creating an enforcement gap.

Key Concepts Involved:

• AQI (Air Quality Index): A measure of air quality based on concentrations of various pollutants.
• PM2.5: Fine inhalable particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less.
• CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management): An authority responsible for air quality management in the National Capital Region.