NEW DELHI: After a rap from the Supreme Court over the rising pollution level in the city, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday allocated Rs 20 lakh to each zone for augmenting air quality management. According to the civic agency, the funds will be provided for the immediate implementation of the pollution control protocols to all 12 zones primarily for dust mitigation measures.
“The amount will be utilised for strengthening the machinery & manpower to mitigate dust pollution. MCD will also focus on the deployment of machinery and manpower for lifting of garbage along Railway track also,” it said. The civic agency plans to purchase dust suppressants, operationalize the sprinklers and hire manpower with the allocated funds.
All the measures are immediate and will be implemented within three days, officials said. “The fund will be used to make sprinklers functional and hiring of drivers after working out the overall strength of manpower at zonal level. By using this fund, all zones will ensure the operation of anti-smog guns, along with manpower in their respective jurisdiction,” the MCD stated.
“MCD will purchase the dust suppressants for use in antismog guns, and water sprinklers and ensure its usage at least every alternate day during non-peak hours. MCD has decided to take steps for regulating construction and demolition waste dump sites,” it said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked five Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to provide a detailed account of the measures implemented to combat the problem of air pollution.
The court highlighted the recurring nature of the issue and also instructed the Central Pollution Control Board to submit a tabular report detailing the current ground situation, including parameters like the AQI and the number of fires.