Amid rising pollution levels in Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced that the district administration and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) can now impose fines of up to Rs 5,000 on anyone caught burning garbage in the open. “We humbly request all citizens not to burn waste in the open. Your small cooperation can bring about a big change,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has ordered a complete ban on using coal and firewood in tandoors at all hotels, restaurants and open food stalls. All such places must now use only electric or gas-based tandoors or other clean-fuel options.

The order has been issued under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The DPCC said that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is still above safe limits and cooking with coal continues to add to local pollution. Earlier rules under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) had also listed this ban as a step to reduce emissions.

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Municipal bodies told to inspect eateries

Referring to the fuel list approved by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in June 2022 and its modified GRAP order from November 21, 2023, the DPCC reminded enforcement teams that they must ensure strict compliance.

Municipal bodies and senior officials have been told to inspect eateries and make sure none of them are using coal or firewood. Only electric or gas tandoors are allowed and the rule must be followed without any exceptions.

The order, cleared by the competent authority, has been sent to all relevant departments by speed post and email for immediate action.

Delhi Air Pollution – Check area-wise AQI here

Meanwhile, Delhi saw a slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning, December 10, but the situation was still far from good. As per the Sameer app, the city’s overall AQI dropped from 310 on Tuesday to 269, which still falls in the “poor” category.

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Smog continued to cover the city. 28 monitoring stations recorded “poor” air quality, while nine stations showed “very poor” levels. The worst readings came from Dwarka’s NSIT at 324 and Bawana at 319.

Areas like Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Nehru Nagar, Pusa, Vivek Vihar and Wazirpur also remained in the “very poor” range with AQI above 300. Only Aya Nagar, IGI Airport T3 and Mandir Marg reported “moderate” air quality. On Tuesday morning, the city’s AQI was 292, with several areas such as Akshardham, Ghazipur and Anand Vihar slipping into the “very poor” category with readings around 319.