Delhi Government Launches Summer Action Plan To Curb Air Pollution

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (May 1) launched an action plan to combat air pollution during the summer months with a focus on controlling dust pollution. The Delhi government already has a winter action plan to curb air pollution. The winter plan focuses on stubble burning, firecracker pollution and industrial and vehicular emissions. The summer plan involves the participation of 30 government departments. The primary focus of the action plan is on dust pollution, which has been a major contributor to the city’s worsening air quality, CM Kejriwal said during a press conference.

He said,

To tackle this, the government has procured 84 mechanical road sweeping machines, 609 water sprinklers and 185 mobile anti-smog guns. Additionally, 70 integrated road sweeping machines and 250 integrated water sprinklers are being procured to improve the situation further.

Also Read: Delhi Budget 2023: Focus On Health And Environment For A ‘Clean, Beautiful, and Modern Delhi’

Patrolling teams have been set up to check dust pollution, open burning of garbage and dumping of waste in industrial areas.

The government will deploy 225 and 159 teams during days and nights, respectively, to monitor dust pollution in the city.

Real-time source apportionment studies will be conducted at 13 air pollution hotspots and a mobile air lab deployed at each of these locations.

Construction sites larger than 500 square metres will be closely monitored to check dust pollution.

The government has prepared a standard operating procedure to prevent fire incidents at landfill sites. A plan is also being prepared for the scientific disposal of industrial waste, the chief minister said.

CM Kejriwal added that a special team is being set up to improve the survival rate of transplanted trees.

The chief minister also claimed that Delhi’s air pollution situation is improving while it continues to worsen in other parts of the country.

Air pollution has come down by 30 per cent between 2016 and 2022 and the number of severe air quality days declined from 26 in 2016 to just six in 2022, he said.

Also Read: Need Coordinated Effort By Central, State And Local Admins To Improve Air Quality: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.