Delhi govt to meet experts on Sept 12 to draw up winter action plan

The Delhi government will hold a meeting with experts on September 12 to prepare a winter action plan to tackle pollution. The plan will be drawn up after a meeting of all stakeholders on September 14. Delhi has seen an improvement in air quality since 2014, but faces a public health crisis every winter due to factors including farm fires and festival fireworks. The government aims to focus on areas such as stubble and garbage burning, vehicular and dust pollution, and dialogue with the central government and neighbouring states.

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said the Delhi government will organise on September 12 a meeting with experts to prepare the winter action plan. This meeting will be followed up by a meeting of all stakeholders on September 14, and the plan to tackle pollution will be drawn up, he said,

New Delhi, India - March 14, 2019: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai along with Member of Parliament Sushil Gupta during a press conference, at AAP office, at ITO, in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna / Hindustan Times) (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

Rai said the national capital has witnessed an improvement in its air quality since 2014 with a decline in both PM (fine particulate matter) 2.5 and 10 levels and efforts toward pollution control will continue this year as well through public engagement exercises.

Rai shared the information during a meeting with Delhi Pollution Control Committee and environment department officials on Tuesday.

Every year, Delhi faces a public health crisis in the run-up to and during winter. The crisis begins with the starting of farm fires in the states of Punjab and Haryana, where farmers set fire to acres and acres of paddy fields after harvest to clear them of the crop residue.

It is then precipitated by meteorological conditions marked by a lack of wind that would have otherwise blown local pollutants away, and festival fireworks during Diwali, creating an amalgamation of factors that leave India’s capital city with no option but to shut schools, halt construction work, limit businesses and advise children and the elderly to stay indoors

Additionally, a review meeting with representatives from 28 departments involved in pollution control will be convened on September 14, and a collective action plan will be created around the predetermined areas of concern, said Rai.

“The Delhi government has started preparing the winter action plan,” Rai said, adding that due to his government’s efforts to curb pollution, PM10 levels in Delhi fell by 42% while PM 2.5 levels fell by 46% since 2014.

Rai said multiple agencies with different roles were working in Delhi and a meeting of all stakeholders will take place on September 14.

“The major goal of this meeting is to create a coordinated action plan in the fight against pollution. Based on the key points outlined in the winter action plan, specific responsibilities will be given to various departments on September 14,” said Rai.

Rais said this year’s winter action plan will be focus on areas such as stubble and garbage burning, vehicular and dust pollution, hot spots, dialogue with the central government and neighbouring states, green war room and green apps.