Delhi's air quality improves slightly but remains 'very poor' for 4th day
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement on Thursday but remained in the "very poor" category for the fourth consecutive day, aided by stronger surface winds that helped disperse pollutants.
The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 305 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 410 -- the highest among all the monitoring stations.
Of the 38 monitoring stations across the city, 23 recorded "very poor" air quality, while 14 fell under the "poor" category, according to the Sameer app created by the CPCB.
Delhi was the fifth most-polluted city in the country on Thursday, with Bahadurgarh recording an AQI of 325.
In comparison, neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) cities, such as Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, reported better air quality, remaining in the "poor" category with AQI levels in the 200 range, according to the CPCB.
A haze shrouded Delhi during the day, with wind speeds reaching 10-15 kmph in the afternoon hours.
Forecasts from the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) indicate that Delhi's AQI will likely remain in the "very poor" category till Saturday, after which it may fluctuate between "poor" and "very poor" over the next six days.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
Transport emissions accounted for 15.7 per cent in Delhi's air pollution on Thursday, according to data from the Decision Support System (DSS).
Residential sources contributed 4 per cent, Delhi and peripheral industries 3.4 per cent, neighbouring cities 4-5 per cent and other sources 35 per cent.
Meanwhile, satellite data showed 69 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, three in Haryana and 44 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
On the weather front, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, 0.1 degree above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 18.1 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast mist for Friday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 32 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
