Union environment minister takes stock of Delhi-NCR pollution

Yadav urged authorities to prepare district-wise crop residue management plans and ensure year-round monitoring of stubble burning

New Delhi

ITO covered in a layer of smog on a day when the AQI plummeted to the “severe” level. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Union minister for environment, forests and climate change Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday sought reports from Delhi and NCR stateauthorities and agencies on action taken to mitigate air pollution in the region, during a review meeting held in Delhion the day, officials aware of the developments said.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) touching “severe” levels, clocking a 24-hour average of 428, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin.

In a bid to address Delhi-NCR’s persistent pollution problem, Yadav urged authorities to prepare district-wise crop residue management plans and ensure year-round monitoring of stubble burning. He emphasised the need to train farmers in using machinery to manage crop residue, and called for equipment to be made widely accessible.

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was present for the meeting. Authorities from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were also in attendance.

The Union minister, calling for zero tolerance and constant vigilance against open burning of municipal solid waste, said authorities in NCR cities have been tasked with preparing strict timelines to close legacy waste gaps and accelerate its processing.

For industrial pollution, the minister told authorities concerned to install Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) in all “red category” industries across Delhi-NCR on mission mode. Besides, he directed agencies to ensure quality and timely road construction to minimise dust.

Officials said that the minister also encouraged various authorities to undertake roadside greening to minimise dust generation.

“He suggested that various municipal corporations in NCR start developing saplings in nurseries, in coordination with the respective forest departments, which then could be planted on a wide-scale on degraded forest lands to give a boost to green cover in the region,” an official release read.

Additionally, the Delhi Traffic Police was asked to identify congestion hot spots and fast-track the roll-out of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) to reduce vehicular pollution from traffic jams.

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the meeting was convened by the Union minister to coordinate between NCR states. “Such meetings have been held recently to identify areas requiring action, so each of the NCR states and even Punjab can initiate action. We will take action too,” he said.

“We have identified the traffic congestion hot spots and are reviewing them. The directions issued to the Delhi Traffic Police will be implemented,” said Dinesh Kumar Gupta, additional commissioner of police (traffic).