As the national capital reels under severe pollution, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote letters to the transport ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, urging them to ensure no diesel buses from their states plied to the national capital in view of GRAP II restrictions in place. With the air quality in Delhi plummeting, Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) second stage restrictions kicked in from 8 am. Rai announced a slew of measures, including enhanced water sprinkling to control road dust, use of dust suppressants and deployment of additional traffic personnel to ease traffic congestion, among others. The minister in his letters said a major component of this air pollution is vehicular emissions largely attributed to the significant number of diesel buses reaching Delhi from their states. "The impact of diesel emissions on air quality is well established and the large influx of such buses significantly contribute to the degradation of air quality in Delhi, posing serious health risks to the residents," he said. Delhi is already grappling with poor air quality and this additional burden from interstate traffic is aggravating the situation, he said. "In light of this, I kindly request your office to consider restricting the entry of diesel buses from entering Delhi or implementing stricter regulations to control their emission norms," Rai added. The minister offered to collectively work out implementation of more effective solutions like transition to CNG or use of electric buses for interstate transport along with strict enforcement of emission norms. He emphasised that taking proactive steps can help to reduce air pollution and ensure a cleaner and healthier environment in the national capital. As regards measures in Delhi, Rai announced a series of anti-pollution measures, including extra metro trips, deployment of more than 6,000 MCD staff for road dust control and 1800 more traffic personnel at congestion points. He made the announcements at a press conference here after Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II came into force in the national capital in view of the surge in pollution levels in the city. He said 1,800 additional traffic personnel will be deployed at 97 congestion points across the city, while inspections at construction-demolition sites will also be intensified under the GRAP II. He further said the Delhi Metro will make 40 additional train trips daily from Wednesday and the frequency of DTC buses will also be increased to encourage people to take public transport to aid the fight against pollution. "With the change in weather in Delhi, we are also witnessing an increase in pollution levels. This trend is not limited to Delhi; it is being observed across North India as well," he said. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has established four levels to control pollution. Currently, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is above 300, which has led to the implementation of GRAP Stage II," he said.  The minister said a meeting was held where measures were formulated to implement the necessary restrictions.

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