CAQM forms panel to identify NCR pollution sources

New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has constituted an expert sub-committee to identify pollution sources in areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh adjoining Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR)

New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has constituted an expert sub-committee to identify pollution sources in areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh adjoining Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The panel will identify areas in the four states where pollution sources contribute to deteriorating air quality in the NCR (HT PHOTO)

According to an order dated October 9, the 15-member panel will identify areas in the four states where pollution sources contribute to deteriorating air quality in the NCR and examine major polluting activities in these areas.

The committee has been constituted under Section 11(5) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.

Dr S D Attri, member technical at CAQM, Delhi, will chair the panel, while Dr Vikas Singh, scientist E at CAQM, will serve as its member-convener.

The panel includes experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Kanpur, Delhi Technological University, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

Representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board and the pollution control boards of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab are also part of the committee. Suruchi Bhadwal, director of climate change and air quality at TERI, is among the members.

The committee may include additional experts as required and has been asked to submit its report within two months.

In a post on X, CAQM said it has activated its GRAP monitoring control room to monitor the implementation of pollution-control measures across Delhi-NCR. It said the control room would coordinate with agencies concerned and strengthen preventive measures to curb air pollution.

“It will track sector-wise actions, obtain compliance reports through PAVAN Portal, assess effectiveness of measures and compile reports for review,” read the post.