Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, unveiled a 15-point action plan to reduce air pollution in the city on Friday. “The winter is set to arrive. And we often see that the pollution rises when the winter sets in. The two-crore plus population and our government have worked very hard to reduce the air pollution in Delhi over the last several years. As a result, a report by the NCAP (National Clean Air Programme) highlights that the pollution in the city has reduced significantly in 2021-22 as compared to four years ago,” According to Kejriwal, the PM10 level has decreased by 18.6 per cent. The chief minister mentioned that one of the steps that helped was reducing power outages, which reduced the use of generators.
Here is his 15-point strategy, which he revealed on Friday:
1) At this time of year, air pollution from stubble burning is a major concern. Farmers would receive a free bio-decomposer developed by the PUSA Institute. “This time, we’d try to make sure that no farmer had to burn the stubble,” Kejriwal said.
2) Beginning October 6, an anti-dust campaign will be launched. 586 teams will be responsible for active monitoring. “Anti-smog guns are now mandatory wherever there is a construction area of more than 5,000 square feet,” Kejriwal said, adding that the city would have 233 anti-smog guns in total.
3) In the case of vehicular pollution, approximately 380 teams have been formed to monitor the implementation of the PUC (Pollution Under Control Certificate) policy. The CM stated that approximately 203 frequently congested routes have been identified, emphasising that efforts will be made to keep these routes de-congested.
4) No one would be permitted to burn garbage in public. Kejriwal stated that over 600 teams have been formed for this purpose.
5) Piped natural gas would be used by industrial units. To enforce this, thirty-three teams have been formed.
6) The cracker ban remains in effect, as it does every year. The chief minister stressed that production and purchase of crackers would be restricted, with over 200 teams overseeing the process.
7) Data on possible causes of pollution in Delhi is being collected in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur. A supersite has emerged.
8) Approximately 8,500 Paryavan Mitras have been inducted as volunteers so far. Kejriwal urged people to call 8448441758 if they missed a call about volunteering.
9) To dispose of electronic waste, an e-waste park is being built.
10) The government planned to plant 42 lakh trees to increase green cover. The project to transplant the remaining 9 lakh people
11) Beginning October 3, a 24*7 green war room would be operational, with a nine-member expert team conducting constant analysis to provide a plan for the following day.
12) “About two years ago, we created a green Delhi app. 53,000 complaints have been received so far. I would encourage you to keep providing feedback on this “according to the chief minister.
13) Thirteen hotspots have been identified where strict supervision is required.
14) GRAP would be used as usual.
15) The chief minister also urged neighbouring states to ensure that the majority of vehicles coming from outside are CNG vehicles and to reduce the use of generators, among other measures.
