Delhi: Pilot project to identify local pollution sources

The pilot project was initiated with SDMC along with an NGO Air Pollution Action Group

The Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi and adjoining areas (CAQM) along with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has launched a pilot project to control pollution and to help identify local pollution sources.

The major pollution sources that have been addressed under this pilot project. (HT Archive)

In a statement released on Tuesday, the CAQM said non-point pollution sources, which are mainly the contributors of pollution that is not confined to a single point or a pollutant that does not arise from a single identifiable source, is a major concern in a megacity like Delhi and it is important to identify such sources and control it.

The pilot project was initiated with SDMC along with an NGO Air Pollution Action Group, which identified 17,290 pollution issues across 104 wards in south Delhi. “Supported by a robust review and monitoring programme, the pilot project was successful in identifying about 17,290 issues in 104 wards of SDMC, of which 10,900 (63%) issues pertain to the SDMC and the remaining 6,400 (37%) issues have been assigned to other agencies. Under this pilot project, SDMC has successfully resolved 95% of the issues pertaining to its own jurisdiction,” CAQM said in a statement.

The major pollution sources that have been addressed under this pilot project include garbage dumping sites, overflowing dhalaos, burning of garbage, construction and demolition sites, debris dumped on public land, road dust from unpaved roads, barren lands, industrial emissions and vehicular pollution.