As Delhi air deteriorates, its watchdog readies to intensify anti-pollution measures

With air quality deteriorating since Diwali-day and low chance of any significant improvement in the coming days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has

With air quality deteriorating since Diwali-day and low chance of any significant improvement in the coming days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has intensified its action plan at the pollution hot spots in the national capital.

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“While we have taken action in at least seven hotspots and the Mayapuri industrial area, we are taking steps at the others. We will intensify night patrol, mechanical sweeping of roads, water sprinkling, remove garbage and debris and penalise violators,” said Arun Mishra, member secretary of DPCC.

The hotspots where action has already been taken include Dwarka Sector 8, Jahangirpuri, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, Rohini and Wazirpur. The board is now focussing on on Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Bawana, Narela, Mundka and Ashok Vihar. There are 13 hotspots in the city.

The day’s average PM2.5 levels remained above 300ug/m3, five times the permissible limit, in several areas such as DU North Campus, Nehru Nagar, DTU, Alipur and Burari.

“In some areas mechanised sweeping of roads is being done almost daily to at least four times a week. Even water sprinkling, to control dust pollution, is being done for at least two times a week to almost daily in some areas,” said a senior DPCC official.

HT had earlier reported that the DPCC had drawn up a two-week long action plan for the hotspots. This includes clearing garbage, construction debris, checking waste burning, penalise violators, checking use of coal and other dirty fuels in industrial areas, controlling dust-emissions at under-construction road stretches, decongesting stretches along metro stations, flyovers and removing temporary encroachments.

“The plan would be executed by November 15. In many places such as RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh 70%-80% of the work, including repairing of unpaved road and removing garbage has been done,” said a senior official of the Delhi environment department.

The Central Pollution Control Board has asked all agencies to address pending citizens’ grievances within 24 hours. The agencies have been asked to focus on such complaints.

CPCB teams which have been taking rounds of the city and flagging violations had found that New Delhi district topped construction and demolition-related complaints accounting for 10.6% of the total such violations while Northeast was highest in terms of dumping of waste at 18.3%. East district accounted for the highest complaints of unswept roads at 21.8% and Southwest reported the most complaints of unpaved roads and pits at 10.7%.

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