Delhi govt constitutes expert committee to combat capital's hazardous air
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government has constituted an expert committee to provide independent ideas, suggestions and solutions to tackle the capital's chronic air quality crisis, officials said on Monday.
The committee is key to the government's five-pronged pollution-control strategy, which focuses on innovation, scientific management of dust and solid waste, action against polluting industries, reduction of vehicular emissions, and long-term efforts to make Delhi greener and healthier.
Officials said the move marks a departure from earlier approaches that relied largely on regulatory orders without structured expert consultation.
To ensure faster execution of pollution-related decisions, the government has also set up the Implementation Committee on Control of Air Pollution (ICCAP), aimed at translating expert recommendations and government schemes into effective on-ground action.
According to officials, the Special Expert Committee comprises 11 members, including former secretaries, former chairpersons of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), secretaries of the environment and forest departments, representatives from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), and experts from institutions such as IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi.
The implementation committee has 16 members, including the chief secretary, MCD commissioner, DDA vice-chairperson, NDMC chairperson, DUSIB chief executive officer, special commissioner of police (Traffic), and other senior officials.
Apart from this, the government has identified vehicular pollution as a key focus area, with large-scale road infrastructure upgrades currently underway, officials added.
According to official data, over 50,200 potholes have been repaired this year, compared to 36,629 last year.
Meanwhile, out of Delhi's 10,500-km road network, 2,180 km have been identified for redevelopment, while 469 km of roads under the MCD and PWD have already been recarpeted and strengthened. A policy decision has also been taken to ensure end-to-end pavement construction on all roads.
On Monday, the city's air quality worsened, slipping into the 'severe' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401 at 4 pm, compared to 390 recorded a day earlier, in the 'very poor' range.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
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The Latest: Kuwait blames Iran for drone strikes as Trump casts doubt on ceasefire
Dubai (AP): US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the two-week ceasefire over Iran's continued chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the ceasefire.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching attacks on Persian Gulf states after Kuwait's announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region when he said he had approved direct talks with Lebanon. The Lebanese government has not responded as of Friday morning.
The announcement came after Israel's pounding of Beirut Wednesday killed more than 300 people. The negotiations are expected next week in Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Questions remained over what will happen to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the Strait of Hormuz, and what happens to Iran's ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.
Talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation.
Here is the latest:
Air defence fire and explosions heard in Iran
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Multiple times overnight into Friday morning, people around Iran's capital, Tehran, and other parts of the country said they heard what sounded like air defence fire and explosions.
However, Iran's government did not acknowledge any attack during that period.
After past exchanges of fire with Israel, similar incidents happened as troops remained on edge.
Japan releases more oil reserves
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Japan said it will release an additional 20 days' worth of oil reserves in May, in a second round to address supply uncertainty over the war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the planned release of the government reserves will start in early May, after an earlier release last month.
Japan started releasing about 50 days' worth of oil reserves in March, including from those held by the state, the private sector and oil-producing Gulf nations.
As of April 6, Japan had 230 days' worth oil reserves, including 143 days' worth in government stockpiles, according to the Natural Resources and Energy Agency.
Takaichi said her government is working to secure oil imports via routes that do not include the Strait of Hormuz, while Japan seeks to diversify suppliers.
Pakistan to issue visas on arrival ahead of talks
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Pakistan said Friday it would issue visas on arrival for those travelling to Islamabad for the Iran-US talks, signalling the interest in the world's media in the event.
