Pollution to soon vanish into thin airIJ
As feelers put out by high power panel on air, water pollution get Jung’s assent
Delhi’s lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has accepted recommendations of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on air and water pollution to be implemented in a time-bound manner. The committee’s recommendations include stringent laws for PUC certificates, intensifying the challaning system, linking of PUC with insurance of vehicles, prohibiting non-destined vehicles entering Delhi, widening of roads and removing encroachment from public places.
The committee has also recommended introduction of eight coaches in all Metro trains, revival of existing ring railway, setting up transportation fund, checking of overloaded vehicles, new parking policy with hefty charges, shifting of Inland Container Depot and amendment in the Central Motor Vehicle rules for reduction of mandatory fitness age of private vehicles from 15 to 10 years. The committee was set up by the lieutenant Governor in the wake of Delhi being described the most polluted city in a study report of World Health Organization (WHO) recently.
Accepting the recommendations, the lieutenant Governor has directed the concerned authorities to implement them in a time-bound manner. Delhi Government will also initiate a public awareness campaign to sensitise people and ensure public participation in these measures. While adopting the recommendations, Jung said that “this needs to be taken up on a mission mode by all agencies of the Government” as he directed all concerned to submit a segregated
department-wise workplan for time-bound implementation of the recommendations within the next three weeks. The project implementation unit at lG office will monitor the implementation of these recommendations.
The short-term measures to help reduce air pollution include effective implementation and tightening of Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms for all vehicles, regulating the entry and exit of non-destined vehicles in Delhi and adoption of a rationalised parking policy with clearly marked out ‘No Tolerance Zones’. The committee also suggested introduction of EURO-V norms for vehicles to be registered in Delhi, promotion of non-polluting battery operated vehicles and use of Metro and public transport such as buses etc to help reduce traffic along with prohibition of illegal burning of garbage and horticultural waste. It also plans to set up Air Quality Monitoring Stations and suggested action plan for Green Delhi to be implemented more robustly.
The committee proposed developing a Public Transport Plan for the city and its time-bound implementation, amendment of Central Motor Vehicle Rules to bring down vehicular pollution, setting up a trans-shipment zone in the bordering areas to avoid entry of such goods in the city, shifting of inland container depots to other locations and establishing Urban Transport Fund to promote public transport as part of the long-term measures.
On the water pollution, the committee has recommended 100 per cent treatment of sewage and industrial effluent within three years so that no untreated industrial effluent enters Yamuna along with removal of encroachment on floodplains of Yamuna as a part of long term measures framed to help check water pollution. It also suggested optimum utilisation of treated wastewater from STPs and CETPs, prevention of dumping of solid waste in drains, utilisation of treated wastewater, rationalisation of charges to incentivise sewer connections, making land available for treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous and demolition waste and notification of sanitation bye laws as short-term measures to check water pollution.
living with ‘air-pocalypse’
Pollution panel takes a deep breath — and recommends
Stringent laws for Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms and intensifying the challaning system
Prohibiting non-destined vehicles from entering Delhi
Widening of roads and removing encroachment
Introduction of eight coaches in all Metro trains
Revival of ring railway
New parking policy with hefty charges
Reducing the mandatory fitness age of private vehicles from 15 to 10 years
Setting up Air Quality Monitoring Stations and implementation of action plan for Green Delhi
100 per cent treatment of sewage and industrial effluents
Restrict untreated industrial effluents from flowing into Yamuna
Choke’s on us
The World Health Organization (WHO) in May this year had rated Delhi as the most polluted city in the world. The 2014 version of the Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) database contained results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1,600 cities in 91 countries. According to the report, the national Capital has the highest concentration of PM 2.5 — particulate matters less than 2.5 microns — form of air pollution, which is considered most serious.
Capital’s air pollution off the charts
This form of concentration consists of tiny particles that put people at additional risk of respiratory diseases and other health problems. The situation was reported so bad in Delhi that its air has PM 2.5 concentrations of 153 micrograms and PM10 concentrations of 286 micrograms — much more than the permissible limits, the report had stated. In comparison, Beijing, which was once considered one of the most polluted cities, has PM 2.5 concentration of 56 micrograms and PM 10 concentration of 121 micrograms.