It finally brought city authorities out of their apparent stupor, in the wake of the dense smog that had cast a dark shadow on the skyline, reducing visibility to a few metres at midday and making throats choke and eyes water. All through Sunday, authorities appeared unwilling to take steps to tackle the crisis, even as the government in neighbouring Delhi announced a slew of emergency measures. The city of private ambitions appeared to have left it to private companies and schools to take the lead.

When it finally came, the DC's order (a copy is with TOI) read: "Recent occurrence of dense smog due to heightened concentration of particulate matter (PM) has necessitated precautionary measures to address the issue of air pollution."

According to the order, any person who notices burning of garbage/waste in the open can complain to the local SHO, MCG joint commissioner (sub-divisional magistrates for areas outside MCG limits) and the regional officer of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). "The person held responsible shall be liable to pay compensation following Section 15 of the NGT Act, 2010, under the principle of 'polluter pays'," states the order. As per NGT, penalty of Rs 5,000 can be charged for burning waste in the open.

The order also directs MCG sanitary inspectors to ensure contractors/staff do not burn garbage in the open. "If such an incident is reported, the concerned SSI shall ensure the polluter is dealt with strictly," the order states.

The MCG commissioner will also ensure effective utilisation of Swachh Bharat App, while the HSPCB regional officer will constitute a task force to monitor and supervise air quality in the district.

Police has been instructed to provide assistance to enable execution of the orders. "Any report of burning of garbage/waste/material in the open should be... dealt without default or delay," the order states.

Most importantly, it encourages citizens to report such incidents. "All civil society groups and citizens may inform such a prohibitive practice of stubble burning on the Swachh Bharat app, and the same shall be taken cognisance by respective joint commissioners through the zonal in-charge," states the order. "We'll soon introduce four more vacuum cleaners to reduce dust emissions," Satyaprakash told TOI. The order will remain in force till revoked.

Earlier in the day, HSPCB officials said all construction units were complying with norms. "We've already taken strict action against construction sites not following guidelines. As it is, most major construction sites are in the outskirts, and we're constantly monitoring those nearby. I don't think there is a need to stop construction in the city," said an HSPCB official, requesting anonymity.

About visible dust from construction sites on Golf Course Road, he said, "Most projects in the area are in their final stages, and don't emit much dust."

Regarding emergency measures like closing schools, the DC told TOI, "It's the directorate of schools' responsibility. However, I don't think sitting at home is any different from sitting in school. Rather, it's time to spread awareness about ill-effects of crackers and take long-term measures."

Experts, though, urged the authorities to implement emergency measures. "As air pollution has reached hazardous levels, there is an urgent need to implement basic measures like closure of schools and polluting units, banning of diesel vehicles, etc., and issue a public health advisory," said Niranjan Raje, former member of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority.