Govt plans round table meeting to brainstorm long-term pollution control plan

The government said after the meeting, officials would engage in the formulation of the action plan based on the advice given by experts.

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday announced a round table conference next month to be attended by experts and different organisations to formulate a long-term action plan to tackle pollution in the national capital. The announcement was made after Rai held a review meeting with officials from the environment department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Thursday.

A boatman wades through toxic foam floating on the river Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj in New Delhi on November 1. (PTI Photo)

“On April 12 and 13, Delhi will hold a round table conference at the Secretariat. Environment experts and others will be called to the conference, so that we can formulate the next action plan…We will take suggestions of experts and different organisations working on pollution and then the Delhi government will discuss and develop an action plan,” Rai said.

Last year, the Delhi government ran an anti-dust campaign in Delhi, used a bio-decomposer to stop stubble burning, held a ”red light on, car off” campaign, started a green war room at the Secretariat to monitor and coordinate efforts by different agencies to control air pollution, and also launched the Green Delhi app.

The government said after the meeting, officials would engage in the formulation of the action plan based on the advice given by experts. Rai also called for monitoring of all pollution hot spots in Delhi and said agencies related to construction work should be aware of dust pollution norms.