With Delhi and other cities of the country grappling with the issue of increasing air pollution, European Union has offered its technical expertise to help combat deteriorating air quality.
Under the initiative, the EU will initially launch a project in three cities in January 2017 to help authorities come out with effective measures to reduce pollution.
Simultaneously, the NGT has also asked states to issue guidelines on use of fire crackers to combat air pollution. It has sought detailed directions against other sources of air pollution like stubble burning, dust and vehicular pollution. The issue will be heard on Monday.
According to sources in Environment Ministry, senior EU officials have already discussed the proposals with them. In the grip of one of the worst levels of pollution last month, Delhi is likely to be included in the first phase of the project, which will be gradually expanded to other Indian cities to tackle pollution.
The team working towards finalization of the project, are accordingly studying the trends of pollution in some of the worst affected cities to get a full picture of how the air quality is managed in such cities with severe pollution. . While the broad contours of the project have been finalised, adding raising awareness about pollution will be a major aspect of the initiative.
Meanwhile, all states, including Delhi, have been asked by the National Green Tribunal to issue guidelines on manufacture, sale and burning of firecrackers keeping in mind that these were a major source of pollution. The direction came on a PIl by three Delhi residents which claimed that over 6.2 lakh deaths occur each year in the country due to the extremely poor quality of air that people are forced to breathe.
The green panel also asked all concerned authorities to create social awareness, especially in schools and colleges, regarding the adverse impacts of indiscriminate burning of crackers on public health.
Alleging that the major cause of air pollution during Diwali was low-cost Chinese fireworks, it sought action and hefty fines on those selling such crackers despite a ban.
As per a latest WHO report nearly 30 Indian cities figuired among hundred most polluted worldwide. Delhi was ranked 11th among 3,000 cities in 103 countries in terms of PM 2.5.