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Delhi pollution: Haryana shuts schools in four districts, imposes other restrictions

Air Pollution

New Delhi : In order to curb air pollution in districts around the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar, the Haryana government Sunday issued a detailed set of instructions. As per the orders, Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan has asked all government and private schools to remain shut till November 17, by which time the situation shall be reviewed.

Additionally, all government and private offices have been asked to shift to work-from-home mode. โ€œWith an aim to reduce 30 per cent plying of vehicles on roads that will impact vehicular emissions and also reduce dust in the air, all government and private offices are advised to do work from home. Vehicles older than 10/15 years (diesel/ petrol) respectively shall be strictly checked with regard to emissions and impounded accordingly,โ€ it said.

โ€œThere shall be complete ban on all type of construction and development activities. Mechanised Stone Crushers and Hot Mix plants used in construction activities shall be closed,โ€ it added.

โ€œNo trash burning by municipal bodies shall be allowed. Stubble burning shall be prohibited. No manual sweeping of roads shall be allowed. To control dust pollution, water sprinkling on the roads shall be done.โ€

Besides, deputy commissioners have been tasked with setting up teams to monitor implementation of the guidelines. โ€œDCs shall constitute joint inspection teams for enforcing the above directions/ instructions and shall ensure extensive checking, monitoring and action against the violators as per law/rules/instructions/ directions issued from time to time by Government of Haryanaโ€.

The guidelines will come into force with immediate effect and remain operational till November 17.

Govt to hold meetings with DTC and metro officials to increase frequency of public transport

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai told reporters that the government will hold a meeting with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Metro officials on Monday to make public transport more frequent as the national capitalโ€™s air quality index (AQI) fell into the โ€œvery poorโ€ category on Sunday.

โ€œTomorrow weโ€™ll hold a meeting with Metro and DTC to increase the frequency of public transport,โ€ Rai told reporters on Sunday.

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Keralaโ€™s Idukki Dam shutter opened as incessant rain continues to plague state

Ashmita Chhabria

Kochi : Amid widespread rainfall in Kerala, a shutter of the Idukki dam was opened by 40 centimetres at 2pm on Sunday in order to ease pressure. No untoward incident has so far been reported as a result, and people living near water bodies downstream of the dam have also been alerted. This was the second time the dam was opened this year.

Notably, Kerala irrigation minister Roshy Augustine is campaign in Idukki as well.

As part of releasing water from the swollen dam, 40,000 litres of water will be released in a second. The dam has only been opened five teams since its construction in the 1960s. Earlier on October 19, as many as three shutters of the Idukki dam were opened.

Heavy rain battered multiple regions of south Kerala on Saturday, leading to minor landslides, massive waterlogging and traffic disruption between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari at three points. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert in three districts of the southern state โ€“ Idukki, Thrissur and Ernakulam. On Saturday, the IMD issued a red alert in Thiruvananthapuram and an orange alert in six districts.

Meanwhile, the Mullaperiyar dam is also expected to be opened if rains continue in Kerala.

According to the latest bulletin by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), light to moderate rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls is very likely over south Kerala for the remaining of Sunday, and isolated very rainfall has been forecasted on November 15. Furthermore, isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Kerala on November 16 as well, the IMD bulletin added.

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