[BREAKING] Delhi Air Pollution: Air Quality Commission lifts ban on medical, dairy, paddy industries; ban on construction to remain

The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region has decided to lift the ban on certain industries including medical, paddy diary, paper and textile industries [Aditya Dubey vs Union of India]..The decision was made after taking into account representations received from several quarters.The commission informed the Supreme Court of its decision by way of an affidavit which among other things stated:- Milk and Dairy processing Units in NCR have been permitted to resume 24x7 operations;- Medicines, drugs and life saving equipment industries to resume full time operations; - Paper and pulp processing industries to work five times a week;- Paddy, rice industries and textile, garment ones to work five days a week.Further, the commission also decided that the industries which were closed due for failure to switch to PNG can now operate 8 hours a day..Further, resumption for the use of Diesel Generator sets has been allowed in 44 residential and commercial spaces. .Power plants have been allowed to operate keeping in view the demand for power. This was after the Ministry of Power said that the existing plants cannot remain shut any more and even the six plants located within the 300 km radius of Delhi cannot remain shut beyond December 15.However, the ban on construction activities will continue. Schools will also continue to function via virtual platforms for the time being. These will be reviewed again on December 17..The commission's submissions came in a plea filed by a 17-year-old Delhi student before the apex court relating to air pollution in Delhi and its adjoining areas.The top court had during the previous hearings passed a slew of orders leading to closure of industries in and around Delhi and ban on entry of trucks into the national capital except those carrying essential goods.The Court had also been critical of the Central and State governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan for failure to find a solution to the recurring problem of air pollution which affects the National Capital Region and the north Indian plains during the winter months. The case is slated to be heard tomorrow by a bench led by Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana.