As air quality worsened in the national capital, the AAP government on Tuesday listed a slew of measures including sprinkling of water in all the 70 assembly constituencies and stepped up monitoring of BS-3 Petrol and BS-4 Diesel vehicles and their entry into Delhi is prohibited.
Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai said in view of the rise in pollution in Delhi after Diwali, a special campaign to sprinkle water has been started in the entire Delhi from Tuesday. The Delhi government has deployed 215 mobile anti-smog guns to sprinkle water on roads across Delhi. There will be 70 mobile anti-smog guns for the 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi to sprinkle water.
The Environment Minister said the government is running several campaigns in Delhi under the leadership to tighten the noose of pollution in Delhi. Be it the anti-dust campaign, anti-open burning campaign, or the spraying of bio-decomposers, we have taken strict measures to curb pollution. Today, we are initiating another step to keep the pollution levels in check. We will run mobile anti-smog guns across Delhi, which will sprinkle water on roads, he said.
Rai said “We are starting a mega-campaign of sprinkling water on roads of Delhi from today. I am optimistic that there will be an immediate reduction in pollution levels through this campaign. The campaign will run across Delhi and 60 mobile anti-smog guns have deployed on hotspots to keep pollution levels in check.”
He also said the Punjab Government has made significant efforts to reduce the cases of stubble burning. As a result of the efforts of the Government of Punjab, the incidence of stubble burning has come down by 60% this year as compared to the previous years.”
To ensure strict compliance with GRAP-IV regulations, Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand, along with officials, conducted inspections at the Singhu border late Monday night.According to GRAP-IV regulations, the entry of BS-3 Petrol and BS-4 Diesel vehicles into Delhi is prohibited. The inspection revealed continuous entry of diesel vehicles from Haryana into Delhi, which is a matter of concern.
The drivers were informed that entry of diesel vehicles into Delhi is restricted due to the deteriorating air quality. Stringent monitoring and implementation instructions for GRAP-IV were provided to the officials.
Anand said sending diesel vehicles from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to Delhi is contributing to increased pollution in the city.
The SDM Narela was directed to disseminate information through hoardings, banners, camps, and handbills to enforce a restriction on vehicle entry. Large banners with information on all directives and rules should be displayed at entry from Haryana to ensure drivers are informed in advance and refrain from entering Delhi.