New Delhi: Scientific disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste should be carried out to check water and air pollution in the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said on Monday (February 25). Mr Baijal chaired a meeting, also attended by city Environment Minister Imran Hussain, on pollution due to construction and demolition waste and dumping of waste in drains and water bodies. Officials told Mr Baijal that flying squads may be deployed to prevent dumping of construction and demolition waste and garbage along the banks of drains. He said scientific disposal of waste should be done to check water and air pollution. Bhure Lal, the Chairman of the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), informed Mr Baijal that during his visit to some nullahs, particularly the Najafgarh and Shahdara Drains, he found their condition was “pathetic and stench was unbearable”.
“Gases coming out from such stagnating dirty water are causing harm to human health,” EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal said. He also apprised that entire NCR is dotted by C&D and plastic waste mountains which are responsible for deterioration not only of the air quality but also adversely affect underground water quality. Mr Baijal was informed about the initiatives taken by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department for rejuvenation of drains and water bodies.
Major behavioural change campaigns are required for maintenance of drain, disposal of the C&D waste and municipal waste by local residents along the banks of the drains, Environment ministry officials said. Septage disposal in the drain is a major threat to these natural drains. It was also informed that department has got a study conducted from Central Road Research Institute for the usage of dredged soil/silt removed from drains, they said.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
