Delhi starts deploying environment marshals to curb air pollution sources

There are plans to increase the number of marshals to 100,to be deployed in 50 MCD wards.

Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday said the government had started deployment of environment marshals to stop illegal burning in the open, controlling dust from various sources and improper management of dhalaos. All these factors locally contribute to air pollution.

elhi environment minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday said the government had started deployment of environment marshals to stop illegal burning in the open. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

“Fourteen home guards have already been deployed in seven wards of the three municipal corporations -- covering three wards of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and two wards each of South Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation,” a government release stated.

The wards where these 14 have been deployed are Anand Vihar, IP Extension, Jhilmil, Daryaganj, Okhla, Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar-Samaypur Badli and Shahbad Daulatpur-PoothKhurd. A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed for the working of the scheme.

There are plans to increase the number of marshals to 100,to be deployed in 50 MCD wards.

“They have been instructed to act as eyes and ears of the environment department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee and report violations in their wards. These violations include burning of leaves or garbage or plastic in the open, pollution due to dumping of construction material without covering, dust pollution due to construction without taking adequate measures and pollution caused due to spilling of solid waste at dhalaos,” an official said.

The environmental marshals will report to their respective supervisory officers every day. Each one will be paid a lump sum amount of R5,000 per month as transport allowance and R1,500 per month for mobile phone expenses.