NEW DELHI: With the aim of controlling air pollution which Delhi faces every year during winters, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal released a 10-point winter action plan for the national capital on Monday, October 4. While speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal said that since neighbouring states have not taken steps to tackle air pollution and stubble burning, Delhi will begin bearing its brunt and face high levels of air pollution.
He also said that even though the Delhi government has repeatedly requested the centre and neighbouring state governments, no step has been taken to tackle stubble burning and other activities which affect Delhi’s air quality. He added that instead of passing the blame on each other, the Delhi government has come up with this action plan and has requested the Centre to consider implementing the plan on a larger scale.
The 10-point plan of the Delhi government is as follows:
- Stubble burning: The state government has prepared a decomposer (a solution) with the help of Pusa Institute. This solution, once sprayed on the crop residue, will eliminate the need to burn it. Delhi government has been spraying it for free, Punjab and other states too can do the same.
- Anti-dust campaign to be strengthened: The government has formed 75 teams which will survey the entire national capital and impose heavy penalty on those who are found violating the government’s dust pollution norms.
- Stopping the burning of garbage: 250 teams have been formed for this.
- Ban on firecrackers
- Installation of smog towers: These towers have shown good results so far and they will continue to analyse results before taking a call to install more such structures.
- Monitoring of pollution hotspots using mobile application.
- Green War Rooms are being strengthened. Kejriwal said that the Delhi government has hired 50 environment engineers.
- The Green Delhi app is being constantly monitored. Public is also encouraged to use it and lodge complaints of any violation, said Kejriwal.
- Eco waste park: This is the first such park being constructed in the country, said Kejriwal. Twenty acres of land has been allotted for the project.
- Vehicular pollution: Kejriwal said that steps are being taken to minimise traffic jams to reduce the emissions caused by cars and other vehicles. The chief minister said that 64 congestion points have been identified across Delhi and steps will be taken to control traffic and the resultant pollution here. “We have also intensified checking for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and are cracking down on diesel vehicles older than 10 years,” Kejriwal added.
Before releasing the 10-point agenda, Kejriwal also talked about the work that has been done by the Delhi government to arrest air pollution in Delhi:
- The Delhi government has provided 24X7 electricity to its residents, thereby eliminating the use of thousands of diesel-powered generators.
- They are also working on reducing dust pollution by constantly monitoring construction activities.
- The Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways have greatly helped in reducing the pollution levels in Delhi.
- Two coal powered thermal plants have also been shut down.
- The government has also worked on converting all industries to PNG.
- The government is also following a tree plantation policy to reduce the number of trees being cut down for construction activities.
- The Green Delhi mobile application is also operational in order to aid citizens who wish to report pollution norm violations.
- A Green War Room has also been setup where the city’s pollutions levels are being monitored constantly.
- On the directions of the Supreme Court, a Graded Response Action Plan was also implemented.
- Delhi also implemented its own Electric Vehicle Policy.
These steps, according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will help the city in tackling the crisis of air pollution during winters.