With Delhi’s air pollution reaching an alarming level — the worst in 17 years — hundreds of private and municipal corporations’ schools will remain closed on Saturday. Neighbouring States have assured steps to help clean toxic air.
Meanwhile the Centre has asked the five NCR States — Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and NCT of Delhi, to strictly implement a host of measures. These include checking spread of fly ash from Delhi’s Badarpur plant, controlling of bio-mass burning and shutting down of old brick kilns. The State Governments have agreed to undertake sprinkling of water on dusty roads and introduce wet/mechanised vacuum sweeping of roads.
Officials said schools will start functioning from Monday as an advisory issued by SAFAR said that city’s air quality will improve from Monday onwards. Some private schools have voluntarily decided to observe a day of closure on Monday as well.
Talking to reporters after the meeting with secretaries of the NCR States, Union Environment Secretary AN Jha said crop burning has been controlled in almost all States, except Punjab, where large-scale burning has been reported. He said Punjab has assured that it will make efforts to check it.
“last year, in December Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had instructed States on 42 points (to tackle air pollution). There were short, medium and long-term measures. After issuing these orders, five or six meetings have already been held at the ministerial as well as CPCB level. Many steps have been taken.
“There are many areas where much more needs to be done. Special focus needs to be given on enforcement of these orders. Because enforcement mechanism is still weak, States have been asked to make enforcement stricter and take whatever steps which need to be taken,” Jha said.
He added various issues related to air pollution, including crop burning, dust pollution, pollution from landfill sites, building construction, vehicular pollution, industrial pollution were discussed during the meeting.
“The Delhi Government has been asked to regulate and check the fly ash which is coming out of the Badarpur plant. We will also issue orders to NTPC so that while transportation whatever fly ash is going into the atmosphere, it stops.
“The Delhi Government has also assured us that it will immediately come out with a plan of action to utilise the money available with it from the collection of environmental tax and one per cent cess for steps to improve the environment,” Jha said.
The Governments will also undertake black topping/pavement of road shoulders and greening of open areas of gardens and community places to reduce suspension of dust, which are major contributors to PM2.5.
All major road construction by agencies will ensure that bitumen burning and use of earth material are done in such a way as to minimise pollution. Use of covered trucks for transport of earth, etc, maybe made mandatory.
The Delhi Government will examine the possibility of providing funds from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) and diesel cess to the neighbouring States for incentivising various machinery like happy seeders, rotavators, straw choppers, gyro rakes, bailers, mulchers etc. to minimise straw burning by farmers.
The issue of funding of equipment to minimise straw burning will be taken up with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for funding the scheme submitted by Department of Agriculture, Punjab, for providing the farm machinery to the farmers for better utilisation of paddy straw.
Punjab and Haryana Governments have been advised to set up bio-mass power plants in large numbers. Since burning of stubble is a banned activity in all the NCR States and Punjab, it was agreed that the ban on stubble burning needs to be enforced with a greater vigour and spirit by State Governments.
Officials said that the Delhi Government is organising a large-scale awareness campaigns on the impact of open burning of bio-mass residue in their respective States.
“Preventive measures like regular action on construction sites having built-up area more than 20,000sqaure metres, vacuum cleaning of roads, prohibition of burning of leaves, garbage have been taken by the Government,” said a Delhi Government official.
Meanwhile, National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked authorities not to play blame game over air pollution. “It is unfair to the people of Delhi. In everything, the authorities are just throwing off their hands. We have to do something. You cannot say that time will do it,” said a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar.
Taking a note NGT’s directive, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to submit a detailed report within a week to control the pollution level. The Delhi Cabinet also discussed the air pollution crisis. Expressing “strong displeasure” at the steps taken by DPCC to deal with the crisis, the Chief Minister directed it to explore the possibility of engaging an expert agency for suggesting remedial steps. The CM directed fresh presentation by DPCC on Monday on the prevailing situation and action plan to tackle the situation.
last week, pictures taken by National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) clearly showed farmers in Punjab and Haryana burning paddy stubble. As a result, Delhi and its adjoining areas were enveloped in smog.
The official also briefed about the linkage which is to be provided to the Pollution Control Committees of various States in the NCR for identification of hot spots and subsequent action taken by the local bodies.
