The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has set up a Control Room to enable people to register complaints against cases of biomass burning.
In Delhi, since 2015, 480 polluting vehicles have been fined, while the number of Pollution Under Control centres has been increased from 702 to 828. And during the past three months 84 such complaints have been received and necessary action has been taken upon them.
This was informed by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar while chairing the fifth meeting on mitigation of air pollution in the States of Delhi and NCR on Wednesday.
The time of entry of commercial vehicles into Delhi has been rescheduled from 9.30 pm to 11.00 pm and efforts are being made to strictly enforce the new timing.
The Delhi Government has also started online monitoring of power plants and waste-to-energy plant. It has also set up compost units in 346 parks in the city.
Meanwhile, Javadekar stressed on the importance of holding awareness-cum-training camps for 7,000 sweepers in Delhi so that burning of biomass burning can be controlled. He urged the Environment Ministers of the NCR to strictly comply with the directions issued by CPCB under Section 18 (1) of Air Act, 1981.
The Environment Minister also suggested quick implementation of the revamped Waste Management Rules, including the newly formulated Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules to reduce air pollution. He said there has been a 30 per cent reduction in stubble burning.
Further, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have banned stubble burning.
The Minister also reiterated the Centre’s decision to implement Bharat-6 compliance for vehicles by 2020, which will significantly reduce vehicular pollution. The need to install vapour recovery equipment at petrol pumps was also emphasised at the meeting.
Representatives from Rajasthan, UP and Haryana participated in the meeting and outlined the steps that have been taken to mitigate air pollution in their respective States.
In Uttar Pradesh, construction of underpasses has been started and two elevated roads are being constructed. Work on widening of NH-24 is underway and stubble burning in the State has been banned.