The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Thursday wrote a letter to Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar welcoming the commission for air quality management in the national capital region and adjoining area ordinance, which has replaced the 22-year-old pollution monitoring body.
Bhure Lal, chairperson, and Sunita Narain, member, EPCA, in a letter to Javadekar said that the move showed the intent and determination of the union government to mitigate the high levels of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
“Over the past many years, we have worked to find solutions and to recommend action through our reports to government and to the honourable Supreme Court. We are grateful for the consideration given to our work and to the fact that many of our recommendations have been implemented,” the letter read.
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Listing the actions taken by EPCA to tackle pollution levels in the region and the impact of those actions, the members said that there were some initiatives that the monitoring body was overseeing and now that the Central commission had taken over, their implementation could be continued to ensure long term solutions for air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
“...The next phase of the agenda for clean air; fourth generation reforms need to be deliberated upon and implemented. That will necessitate the massive augmentation of intracity public transport, and to move industries, power plants and other users away from polluting fuels like coal to natural gas, electricity and renewable to ensure clean combustion,” the letter read.
{{/usCountry}}“...The next phase of the agenda for clean air; fourth generation reforms need to be deliberated upon and implemented. That will necessitate the massive augmentation of intracity public transport, and to move industries, power plants and other users away from polluting fuels like coal to natural gas, electricity and renewable to ensure clean combustion,” the letter read.
{{/usCountry}}It added, “We hope that the above listing will help your ministry in following up the necessary actions for combating pollution in this region.”