On Wednesday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a 21-point winter action plan against air pollution in the capital Delhi. Preparations have been made for odd-even and work from home.
Work From Home: On Wednesday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a 21-point winter action plan against air pollution in the capital Delhi. He said that the Delhi government will strictly implement it. Under this, there is a plan for odd-even and work from home. These measures will be implemented if pollution increases in winter.
Gopal Rai said that due to the ten historic efforts of the residents of the capital and the Delhi government in the past years, the level of pollution has decreased by 34.6 percent. While there were 243 days of pollution in the year 2016, it has come down to 159 days in 2023. He said that under the Winter Action Plan, this time the pollution hot spots in Delhi will be monitored by drones for the first time.
A six-member special task force has been formed to monitor and prevent pollution. He said that as an emergency measure, attention will be paid to odd-even and artificial rain. Work from home will be encouraged. Grap (Graded Response Action Plan) will be strictly implemented if pollution increases and work will be done in collaboration with the central government and neighboring states.
Strict monitoring on construction sites Gopal Rai said that this time bio-decomposer will be sprayed free of cost in more than 5,000 acres of fields. Strict monitoring will be done on construction sites and along with reducing vehicle pollution, burning of garbage in the open will be banned.
Gopal Rai said that thermal power plants located in Delhi have been closed. Today Delhi is the only city in the country where there is no coal-based thermal power plant. Those spreading dust pollution are being fined and their real-time monitoring is being done through a web portal. 1959 registered industrial units in Delhi have been shifted from polluting fuel to piped natural gas. Special monitoring of hotspots is being done so that strict action can be taken against the sources of pollution.
He said that special monitoring is being done to reduce pollution in hotspot areas. Due to the Peripheral Expressway, the number of non-essential vehicles entering Delhi has reduced drastically.
Appeal for cooperation from NCR states
● All public vehicles coming to Delhi from NCR should be CNG or electric
● Convert industrial units to PNG
● Brick kilns should be converted to zig-zag technology
● To reduce dependence on diesel generators, all societies should be given 24-hour electricity
● There should be a ban on firecrackers. Pollution caused by stubble smoke should be prevented
‘Need to work together for prevention’
Gopal Rai said, more than two-thirds of Delhi’s pollution is caused by sources outside Delhi. According to the CSE report, external sources contribute 69 percent to Delhi’s pollution. To control pollution, the Delhi Government, Government of India, CAQM and NCR states will have to work together.
