Delhi Govt to launch action plan for air pollution in September

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NEW DELHI: Gopal Rai, Minister of Environment, Government of Delhi has said that the Delhi government will be launching a 15-point action plan in September, to combat the menace of air pollution in the winter season.

The plan will aim to target the major sources of pollution, like vehicular emissions, controlling stubble, dust pollution, open burning of trash, industrial pollution, pollution hotspots, real-time apportionment studies, smog towers, e-waste parks, plantations, the Green Delhi application, eco-farming, public involvement, firecrackers, etc.

In a meeting on September 5, Rai will go over each of the 33 departments’ concerns in depth. The winter action plan will take into account their comments and advice. The revised Graded Response Action Plan’s implementation will also be discussed during the meeting on September 5. According to Rai, local sources account for 39 percent of Delhi’s air pollution, with the remaining coming from nearby National Capital Region areas.

A revised version of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will be implemented from October 1, 2022. GRAP is a set of guidelines to be followed during those months, when air quality in Delhi dips to a dangerously low level. The plan is coming into action 15 days before its usual date every year. Until now, the authorities would only put the measures into place once the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations reached a certain point. The updated plan, which is part of a new policy created by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to reduce air pollution in Delhi-NCR, and relies on forecasts to enact bans up to three days in advance.

The revised plan also calls for a ban on BS IV four-wheeler diesel cars in Delhi and the NCR’s surrounding districts, with the exception of those performing essential services, if the air quality index (AQI) crosses the mark of 450. Delhi’s GRAP has been categorised into four phases of poor air quality: Stage I, ‘Poor,’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II, ‘Very Poor,’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III, ‘Severe,’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV, ‘Severe Plus,’ (AQI >450).