The National Green Tribunal has asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to file a fresh action plan specifying targets, timeline and the allocation of funds for each sector to combat the worsening air pollution in the national capital during winter.
Last week, the green court had observed that the city's air quality not only depends upon the contributory factors prevalent in Delhi but also on neighboring areas while seeking a comprehensive action plan for the entire NCR to cover the air shed.
"On the perusal of the report (given by CAQM) we find that general observations have been made but, in many of the areas, the specific plan covering all districts with quantified targets has not been indicated," an NGT chairperson Prakash Shrivastava-led bench noted.
Apart from Delhi, cities including Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Baghpat, other NCR Districts will come under a common air shed, the CAQM had said. It would also address the state of Punjab and Non-NCR Districts of Haryana, primarily for addressing the episodic events of stubble burning.
The commission had noted that the city's air quality was fluctuating from poor, very poor to severe and the authorities concerned were compelled to invoke GRAP1 and GRAP-4 depending upon the extent of deteriorating air quality.
Submitting the action plan, the commission said the report is based on a policy to curb the air pollution in the National Capital Region which was prepared in July last year.
The CAQM, in its report, pointed out contributing factors including Industrial Pollution, Pollution from Diesel Generator (DG) sets, Pollution from thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi, Pollution from vehicles and transport sector, Agricultural Stubble Burning, Municipal Solid / Plastic Waste burning, Biomass Burning, Fires in Sanitary Landfills and other episodic events, Management of Dust from Construction and Demolition Project activities, Management of dust pollution from Road and Open Areas, Miscellaneous dispersed sources, household emissions and pollution due to anthropogenic activities.
Granting three weeks' time for the fresh report, the green court posted the matter for January 3 next year.