An emergency action plan will be implemented from tomorrow to combat air pollution that has begun to show a trend towards poor category, the Central Pollution Control Board said.
Under the emergency plan called Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), stringent actions are implemented based on the air quality of the city.
If the air quality lies in moderate to poor category- measures like stopping garbage burning in landfills and other places, and enforcing all pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries would be implemented, an official said.
If the air quality falls in the very poor category, additional measures of stopping use of diesel generator sets, enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented, he added.
If the air quality falls in the severe category, additional measures would be implemented of increasing frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads, sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretches with high dust generation.
If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of task force to take decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented.
The measures depending upon the air quality will be implemented from tomorrow.
Currently the air quality is in the poor category but authorities have predicted that it would reach the 'very poor' category in the next couple of days.
In addition to GRAP, the CPCB has also deployed 41 teams across the Delhi NCR to monitor proper implementation of norms enforced to prevent pollution at the source.
Till October 11, 96 inspections were conducted by the teams across Delhi NCR and the inspections would intensify in the coming days, a senior CPCB official said.
The inspections was started by the two-member team on September 15, he added.
Satellite images from the NASA showed rampant stubble burning activity in Punjab and Haryana.
The NASA, on its official website, stated that burning of crop residue in Punjab and Haryana has increased significantly over the past 10 days in and near Amritsar, Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa and Hisar.
Burning of paddy straw every year during October and November and wheat straw during April in Punjab and Haryana are the major contributors of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, as the smoke travels towards the national capital.
In Delhi, it mixes with the fog and creates a toxic smoggy winter every year.
Air Pollution Drives 7% Of Deaths In Big Indian Cities: Study "National Shame": Lt Governor Slams Arvind Kejriwal After Delhi Gets "Most Polluted City" Tag Delhi World's Most Polluted Capital City Again: Report "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Joe Biden Is The Best Person To Take On Trump, Says His Campaign Wife Among Two Jailed For Life For Man's Murder In Gurugram: Cops 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.