
The Delhi government has banned trucks and other heavy vehicles from entering the city between October this year and February 2023 to reduce air pollution in the winter months.
The government said no trucks would be allowed to enter the city from October 1 to February 28 next year.
Air quality in the national capital had fallen to dangerously low levels in the winter months in recent years.
The levels of the pollutant Particulate Matter 2.5 or PM2.5 had risen sharply in the winter months, owing to industrial discharges, automotive emissions and crop-residue burning in neighbouring Haryana and as far as Punjab.
Most trucks run on diesel, a known air pollutant.
In recent years, the Delhi government banned entry of trucks only when pollution levels spiked in winter. This time, the government announcement the entry ban for trucks early to prevent extreme levels of air pollution.
Three out of four households in Delhi-NCR are already experiencing the ill-effects of toxic air, with common complaints ranging from sore throat and cough to burning eyes, headaches and disturbed sleep, according to an online survey
The sudden exposure to smoke, toxic gases, and fine particulate matter has left the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with chronic respiratory or cardiac illnesses struggling to cope.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital improved on Saturday morning but remained under the "poor" category, with Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) already in effect across Delhi-NCR.
With the city's air quality remaining in the "poor" category, Delhiites are rushing to stock up on air purifiers and masks, leading to a 60-70 per cent jump in sales, traders said.
The State of Global Air 2025 examines air quality and health outcomes using the latest PM2.5 and ozone exposure data and disease burden models.
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