GRAP measures to kick in when air quality deteriorates: officials
The Hindu
States asked to stop use of coal in hotels and open eateries
Measures under “very poor” and “severe” category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution will kick in only when the air quality deteriorates further and stays in prescribed levels for 48 hours, according to officials.
Last year, the erstwhile EPCA (Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority) had ordered States to implement measures under “very poor” and “severe” category of GRAP in NCR cities from October 15 in anticipation of bad air, before the air quality actually deteriorated to the prescribed levels.
This is not likely to happen this year.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists