New Delhi: Amid Delhi’s continuous struggle to breathe under a blanket of smog, the Union health ministry, along with the Delhi and other governments of neighbouring states chaired a meeting on Tuesday and decided that “pollution will be tackled in a holistic manner from next year”.
It was decided in the meeting that sweeping of roads would soon be mechanized across Delhi-NCR and that it “will be taken up on a large scale. All possible assistance will be provided to the MCDs by the Central Government for increasing the scope of mechanized sweeping.”
The members decided that sweeping of roads would soon be mechanized across Delhi-NCR and that it “will be taken up on a large scale. All possible assistance will be provided to the MCDs by the Central Government for increasing the scope of mechanized sweeping.”
Mechanized vacuum sweeping machines have exhaust air quality same as the ambient air quality as notified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
It was further noted that air quality in 2017 was far better than that of 2016 and the number of good, moderate and satisfactory days in 2017 were 151, as compared to 109 in 2016. Similarly, the number of very poor, poor and severe days in 2017 was 181, as compared to 214 days in 2016.
The meeting — chaired by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union health minister and other stakeholders such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, PWD & Health Minister Satyendra Jain, UP Environment Minister Dara Singh Chauhan and Haryana Environment Minister Vipul Goyal along with Rajasthan environment secretary and pollution control board officials — arrived at some key conclusions to tackle the pollution menace in national capital.
It was also decided that dust generated at major construction sites will be closely monitored and any violation will be dealt with strictly.
The meeting comes close on the heels of frequent fire incidents at the Azadpur garbage mountain and Bhalsawa dumping ground. The members decided that fire from municipal solid waste dumpyards will be tackled on an urgent basis.
The authorities, along with the Department of Science and Technology, will adopt an innovative approach at the earliest to ensure that pollution is managed well.
Stubble burning was also discussed with the neighbouring states and ways of tackling the problem that adds to the smog over Delhi-NCR.
The Union Territory has been time and again reprimanded by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for failing to act against crop burning.
Also, the Task Force Committee headed by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary is examining the issue of stubble burning and it was further noted that an action plan to address the issue will be ready in the next one month.
Even the ban on pet-coke and furnace oil will be strictly enforced in all the NCR states, the members decided.
The members further decided that a special “Anti-Pollution Drive” will be launched in January 2018 for 15 days, wherein there will be concerted a action to tackle the issue of air pollution by all the agencies and that Pollution Control Boards will work in a proactive manner to ensure that violators are dealt with strictly.
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