Residents’ groups to keep watch on air pollution hot spots in Delhi

As part of the campaign, representatives from Delhi’s 13 pollution hot spots will work closely with municipal corporations to help report incidents of waste burning, debris dumping and other pollution-related violations

The United Residents’ Joint Action (URJA) of Delhi, a consortium of over 2,500 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in the Capital, on Friday launched a citizen-driven monitoring campaign against air pollution.

In 2019, The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee identified 13 pollution hot spots. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

As part of the campaign, representatives from Delhi’s 13 pollution hotspots will be working closely with Delhi’s corporations to help report incidents of waste burning, debris dumping and other pollution-related violations in their respective areas.

In 2019, The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee identified Rohini, Dwarka, Okhla Phase-2, Punjabi Bagh, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Bawana, Mundka, Narela and Mayapuri as pollution hotspots in the city. These locations have an annual average PM10 concentration exceeding 300μg/m3 and PM2.5 concentration of over 100μg/m3. While the CPCB safe standards annually are 60μg/m3 and 40μg/m3 for PM10 and PM2.5 respectively.

PM10 are coarse pollution particles and PM 2.5 are fine, inhalable particulate matter.

“The air pollution in these hotspots is consistently high and there is a need to ensure implementation of the government’s action plans. Residents in these hotspots are affected by the high levels of pollution and can be instrumental in changing things on ground,” Atul Goyal, president, URJA said.

“The representatives could be community leaders, RWA or market trader association members. Those with a background in education and health can be appointed as coordinators. We need to establish the state government’s accountability to its citizens and demand a roadmap for reducing 12% pollution annually, to begin with, and two-thirds by 2025, as was committed by them during Delhi elections,” he added.

Jasbir Chaddha, general secretary, URJA, said open waste burning has emerged as an important local source of pollution, and their campaign will focus on empowering citizens to report such instances.

“There needs to be a plan for the protection of vacant land near these pollution hotspots, which will ensure no fresh waste is dumped, which in turn can be set on fire,” he said.