Delhi govt unveils 21-point winter action plan to combat air pollution

Environment minister Gopal Rai said that the plan, which comes into effect immediately, also includes an anti-dust campaign from October 7

The Delhi government on Wednesday launched a comprehensive 21-point Winter Action Plan, focussing on real-time monitoring of pollution using drones, deploying special task forces and putting into action emergency measures, such as artificial rain and vehicle rationing scheme, to tackle rising air pollution levels in the Capital.

Evening haze engulfing Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Environment minister Gopal Rai, introducing the plan at the Delhi Secretariat, said: “This year our theme is ‘Mil Kar Chalein, Pradushan Se Ladein’ and for that, we need public participation. For the first time, drones will monitor air quality at Delhi’s pollution hot spots, and an STF, comprising six members, will ensure enforcement of pollution control measures.”

He emphasised that the plan, which comes into effect immediately, also includes an anti-dust campaign from October 7.  

To be sure, the Delhi government makes a Winter Action Plan every year, but it has little impact on peak pollution, which plunges the city into a public health emergency.

Drone monitoring 

In a first, drones will be deployed to monitor 13 pollution hot spots in Delhi, which have consistently recorded more than the average level of PM2.5 (particulate matter having a diameter of less than 2.5 microns). “Earlier, pollution sources were identified manually. This will allow real-time identification and action against sources of pollution on the spot,” Rai said.  

Identified by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2018, these hot spots are at Anand Vihar, Mundka, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Rohini, Punjabi Bagh, Okhla, Bawana, Vivek Vihar, Narela, Ashok Vihar and Dwarka.

The annual average PM 2.5 concentration was 101 microns per cubic metre (ug/m3). According to CPCB, the permissible level of PM2.5 is 40ug/m3.

A senior environment department official said one to two drones are planned to be utilised at each hot spot, and a tender will be floated soon.  

Public participation

The Winter Action Plan also aims to mobilise public participation through various campaigns, including an e-vehicle parade, an anti-pollution march, and the “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” initiative at traffic signals, officials said. The government is also introducing the “Harit Ratna” award to recognise individuals, NGOs, and private companies contributing to reducing pollution. 

Rai said that the number of days having “poor”, “very poor” and “severe” air quality index reduced by 35% over a seven-year span. “In 2016, we had 243 days of high pollution, whereas in 2023, we had 159 such days,” Rai said, adding that the campaigns will be at the heart of this year’s efforts.

CPCB classifies an AQI between 0-50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and over 400 as “severe”.

Rai said that under the anti-dust campaign from October 7, dust pollution at construction sites and along roads will be tackled.

“All construction sites with an area over 500 square metres need to register with the government on on a web portal created by the government specifically to register and monitor construction sites. A total of 523 teams will inspect construction sites. For roads, we are deploying 85 road sweeping machines and 500 water sprinkling machines,” Rai said.

He said that over 200 anti-smog guns will also be deployed in three shifts.  

Emergency measures 

The government has proposed artificial rain and Odd-even vehicle rationing scheme as emergency measures to tackle a sudden spike in pollution levels, which is generally recorded between November 1 and 15. Last year, the AQI consistently remained in the “very poor” and “severe” levels.

“As part of the plan, the government will encourage people — both in the government and private sectors — to opt for work-from-home. The Odd-even scheme and out artificial rain have been included as emergency measures,” said Rai.

He said that if required, guidelines will also be issued in the next few weeks devising work-from-home schedules.  

“For artificial rain, a letter has been written to the Union environment minister to call a meeting of all relevant departments to discuss this,” Rai said, adding that departments concerned are also working on the vehicle rationing scheme.

Tackling sources  

The Winter Action Plan 2024 aims to address various pollution sources, including open waste burning, industrial emissions, and vehicular pollution. “To reduce vehicular pollution, 360 teams will be deployed to monitor both Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and overage vehicles. Traffic police teams will be deployed on 134 roads to reduce congestion,” Rai said.  

Rai said an advisory will be issued to encourage voluntary vehicle restriction.

Besides deployment, a real-time source apportionment study, along with a “Green War Room” and the Green Delhi app will help tackle pollution, Rai said. The minister said the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) and the ban on firecrackers will be implemented stringently. 

“Like previous years, there will be a complete ban on the production, storage, use, and sale of firecrackers in Delhi, including online delivery. The notification (for the ban) will be issued soon,” he said. 

“Additionally, 59 teams will inspect industrial areas, and 588 teams will prevent open burning. To combat stubble burning, a bio-decomposer solution will be sprayed over 5,000 acres of farmland,” Rai said. 

Experts, while saying the plan was robust, cautioned that enforcement holds the key to its success.

“Many effective measures have been proposed, but their impact depends on how well they are enforced. For instance, the firecracker ban is a good step, but compliance has been inconsistent in past years,” said Abhishek Kar, senior programme lead of the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW).

Kar said there is limited evidence to suggest that measures, such as spraying water or artificial rain, have a significant effect on improving air quality. 

Meanwhile, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Virendra Sachdeva said it was regrettable that Rai “keeps making announcements” instead of taking serious anti-pollution steps. “Rai claimed improvement in the pollution situation in Delhi on a day when morning newspapers brought news of stubble burning in Punjab much before time,” Sachdeva said. 

Sachdeva urged Rai to call an all-party meeting on September 26 to address stubble burning concerns, threatening to otherwise contact Punjab CM Sardar Bhagwant Mann on Friday.