New Delhi, October 30: After the air quality of the national capital rose to alarming levels, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has warned that it will remove all the private vehicles from the national capital if pollution is not reduced by November 1. EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal said November 1 is the deadline for reducing pollution in Delhi, and failure to do so, all private vehicles will be stopped from plying on Delhi roads, following which commuters will have to use public transport.

"From November 1 our graded action response plan will be implemented. Let us hope Delhi air pollution situation doesn't deteriorate or else will have to stop plying of private vehicles, only public transport will be used", Bhure Lal, Chairman, Environment Pollution Control Authority was quoted by ANI. Delhi Air Pollution: Rising Vehicular Emission a Major Contributor in Deteriorating Air Quality in NCR.

On Tuesday, air quality in Delhi worsened and people witnessed the worst pollution of the season, pushing various agencies on a war-footing mode. A thick haze due to smog continued to hover over the national capital, authorities said. According to the data of the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality of Delhi was recorded at 397, just three points below the severe level and highest of this season. The data further informed that seventeen areas of the national capital recorded severe air quality.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA had suggested that all construction activities involving excavation, civil construction, stone crushers, hot mix plants, that generate dust pollution in Delhi-NCR be stopped from November 1. Ban on 15-Year-Old Petrol And 10-Year-Old Diesel Vehicles Ordered by Supreme Court in Delhi NCR Amid Rising Air Pollution. 

On Monday, the EPCA had informed the top court that commercial vehicles like trucks and taxis were the major source of pollution in the national capital and said there was a need to control their operation. The report submitted by the EPCA stated that industries now contribute upto 18 percent of the air pollution while industrial pollution has increased by a whopping 48 percent between 2010 and 2018. Delhi Air Pollution Combat: Graded Response Action Plan to Start From November 1; Here's All You Need to Know. 

According to a report by PTI, EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal had placed a report on October 28 regarding the EPCA's visits to various 'hot spots' to identify local sources of pollution in Delhi and NCR region. The report informed that the EPCA had visited areas including Anand Vihar, Narela, Bawana, Nagloi, Mundka, Tikri, Kamrudin Nagar, Ranshola, Hiran Kudana, Baprola and Bahadurgarh, Dwarka and Faridabad.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2018 03:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).