113 industries asked to shut amid 'very poor' air quality in Delhi

New Delhi: Amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi, authorities have asked 113 industries to shut for not converting to Piped Natural Gas (PNG), an official statement said Monday.

Of the 113 units, 67 are located in Bawana and Narela industrial areas, it said.

Delhi's air continued to remain in the "very poor" category on Monday with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 348.

In a meeting chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal here, officials told the LG that 1,368 show cause notices and 417 closure directions have been issued against polluting units by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

The meeting was attended by Environment Minister Imran Hussain, Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) chairman Bhure Lal and other senior officials.

"It was further informed that closure directions have been issued to 113 industries which have not converted to PNG," the LG office said in a statement.

It stated that DPCC officials informed Baijal that the committee has deputed "environment marshals" for night patrolling in Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Nangloi, Punjabi Bagh, Dwarka, Anand Vihar, Bhalaswa SLF and Ghazipur SLF.

The LG has directed more deployment of environmental marshals keeping in mind emergent air pollution condition.

In the meeting, the EPCA chairman also presented photographs of violations in terms of open burning and dumping of rubber and plastic waste and dust pollution that was observed during the site visits at Nangloi, Dwarka, Tikri Kalan, Mundka, Peeragarhi, Kamruddin Nagar, Hiran Kudna and Ghewra areas among others.