The Prime Minister’s chief secretary, PK Mishra, has called on the Delhi government to ensure that local sources of air pollution, such as open burning of waste, road construction and demolition dust; Industrial emissions are managed carefully before air pollution levels rise as we approach winter, according to a statement released by the Environment Ministry on Saturday.
Mishra also called for plans for air pollution hotspots at a high-level task force meeting on Friday that was attended by the chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, secretaries from different departments, including the ministries of the environment, agriculture and roads. , petroleum and the Central Board of Pollution Control. It was decided that specific plans will be implemented for similar sites in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
He stressed that the measures must be implemented well before the onset of severe atmospheric conditions and should focus on compliance with emission standards by industries in satellite industrial areas.
Mishra noted that the incidence of stubble burning has dropped by more than 50% in the last two years and the number of days of “good” air quality index has increased. It was noted that following the recent inclusion of waste fuels and power plants in the Reserve Bank of India’s priority sector loans, both state and central governments should jointly develop action plans for the rapid deployment of such units. Measures related to crop diversification and strengthening supply chains were also discussed.
Mishra stressed that teams must be deployed to Punjab, Haryana and UP to ensure no stubble is burned. These states should provide appropriate incentives, especially in the relevant districts.
“We have to enforce the rules, but compliance becomes a challenge if the systems are not in place. We have to conduct capacity system audits to understand what type of waste generation and management is happening. Small-scale industrial units, unauthorized industrial units will need to be monitored for the type of fuel they are burning. The learnings from the confinement will also need to be implemented systematically. For example, working from home can give us clues to develop a systems approach that reduces the need to travel, ”said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Center for Science and Environment.
Delhi posted a moderate AQI at 118 on Saturday.
Delhi has recorded days of “moderate” air quality consecutively since 9 September. The city had recorded 4 days of “good” and 27 “satisfactory” air in August with air quality not once declining to moderate levels.
But weather and air quality scientists said the season is gradually changing, leading to unfavorable weather conditions for the dispersal of pollutants.
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