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In a bid to fight air pollution this winter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday announced a 15-point ‘winter action plan’, which includes using anti-smog guns, monitoring of dust mitigation measures at construction sites and enforcing measures that are already in place, like the ban on firecrackers.
Remarking that the air is the same everywhere, Kejriwal appealed to neighbouring states of the National Capital Region (NCR) to take measures to curb air pollution. Kejriwal said, “We need to take steps together. We will work with the states of the NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management and the Union Government to reduce air pollution. I request neighbouring states to try and ensure that vehicles entering Delhi are running on CNG or are electric vehicles.”
सर्दियों में प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण के लिए दिल्ली का “विंटर एक्शन प्लान” तैयार। Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/VeEkFIJ0YS
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 30, 2022
He asked the neighbouring states to ensure that industries are not running on polluting fuels and they switched to piped natural gas. “Brick kilns also lead to pollution. I would also like to request them…to reduce pollution from brick kilns, zigzag technology should be used. There should be a 24-hour supply of electricity in the NCR so that people don’t have to use diesel generator sets.”
The 15-point winter action plan includes:
- Spraying the PUSA bio-decomposer on 5,000 acres of farmland in Delhi to prevent stubble burning
- An anti-dust campaign will be launched from October 6. Construction sites of 5000 sq metres and above need to register on a web portal for real-time dust control monitoring. A total of 586 teams have been formed to monitor construction sites. Anti-smog guns are compulsory at construction sites of over 5,000 sq metres. 80 road sweeping machines will operate to control pollution from road dust; 521 machines for water sprinkling to control dust pollution and 150 mobile anti-smog guns will be used.
- Checking of pollution under control certificates will be intensified to deal with vehicular emissions. A total of 203 roads with heavy traffic have been identified and alternative routes are being recommended to decongest them. The ban on plying petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years will be enforced. A total of 380 teams have been formed to enforce this.
- A total of 611 teams have been formed to prevent the open burning of waste.
- Teams have been formed to ensure that industrial units are running on PNG.
- A total of 210 teams have been formed to enforce the ban on the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers.
- A real-time source apportionment study is being done with IIT Kanpur. A supersite has been set up on Rouse Avenue Road. Data on the sources of air pollution and forecasts will start coming from October 20.
- People can volunteer to become ‘paryavaran mitras’ or volunteers who would spread awareness. Over 3,500 volunteers have registered so far.
- An e-waste park to process e-waste is being developed on 20 acres at Holambi Kalan.
- Trees are being planted to increase green cover
- A 24×7 ‘green war room’ with nine scientific experts will start functioning from October 3.
- A Green Delhi App was developed for people to report instances of pollution. This has been successful and 90% of complaints registered on the app have been resolved so far.
- The revised Graded Response Action Plan will be enforced strictly.
- There are 13 air pollution hotspots in Delhi. They will be strictly monitored.
Kejriwal said that many steps have been taken in the past seven years to deal with air pollution. “Electricity supply used to be cut often and generators used to run. Since our government was formed, generators are not running because 24×7 electricity supply was ensured. Because of this step, pollution has reduced. Two power plants that were running in Delhi were shut. Now, Delhi is a model state where coal-based power plants are not running,” he said.
Other steps, he said, include ensuring that all registered industries switched to piped natural gas, introducing the electric vehicle policy and adding CNG and electric buses to the fleet. “Since our government was formed, green cover has been increasing. When our government was formed, Delhi’s green cover was 20%. It is now 23.6%,” he claimed.
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