NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has prepared a comprehensive list of over a dozen issues to be raised with Haryana at the upcoming 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting, scheduled for September 11 at Surajkund in Faridabad.
The meeting, which will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will bring together representatives from Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu&Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Ladakh.
Discussions will focus on regional concerns, with key issues affecting the National Capital Region (NCR) taking center stage. Among the main concerns to be addressed, Delhi plans to emphasise the maintenance of water quality in the Yamuna River, a critical environmental issue.
Additionally, Delhi will push for a complete ban on the manufacture, storage, sale and bursting of all types of firecrackers across NCR, a measure aimed at reducing air pollution and promoting public health. A meeting chaired by Delhi’s Chief Secretary on August 26 also highlighted several pressing agenda items.
One of the major issues raised was the disposal of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from the bio-mining of legacy waste at the city’s dump sites. Delhi government has requested the Haryana government to assist the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in managing the disposal of this bio-mined RDF.
Another critical concern involves the construction activities in the Najafgarh Lake area by the Haryana government. Delhi has raised alarms over the potential ecological and hydrological impact of connecting the Badshahpur and Dharampura drains to the lake, especially on the Delhi side. Further, Delhi is seeking Haryana’s cooperation on the ownership and restoration of land related to the Munak Canal, a key infrastructure project for water management.
Delhi also wants to resolve land acquisition issues near Singhalpur Village for road and bridge widening. Other agenda items include the release of additional water from Haryana for the functioning of Delhi’s water treatment plants and securing the release of raw water at crucial points like Bawana and Wazirabad.
Delhi also seeks measures to prevent non-destination vehicles from entering the capital and to ensure stricter vehicle pollution controls. The meeting will also discuss promoting cleaner fuels in NCR, with a focus on implementing BS VI vehicle registration, encouraging the use of electric vehicles and transitioning industries to piped natural gas (PNG).
Ahead of the meeting, a review was conducted last week through video conferencing under the chairmanship of Haryana’s Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi to ensure smooth preparations.