Air pollution abatement measures in the National Capital Region (NCR) are moving towards year-round enforcement rather than seasonal curbs alone, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and state pollution control boards (SPCBs) of Haryana and Rajasthan.
The authorities stated that structural work on industrial adoption of clean fuels, dust control at construction sites, measures against waste burning, and shifting to cleaner modes of freight and passenger movement has to run throughout the year.
The remarks were made during the fifth edition of the Clean Air Dialogues, a series organised by the CAQM Resource Lab -- a joint initiative of Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Raahgiri Foundation.
In a statement, Tarun Kumar Pithode, member secretary at CAQM said the states are now moving in tandem towards "continuous, verifiable compliance through the year, supported by common data and common metrics", so that pollution-control efforts throughout summer and monsoon translates to air quality improvement during winter months.
During the event, Haryana SPCB also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Raahgiri Foundation expand year-round measures to tackle air pollution.
Under the MoU, a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) will be established to focus on air pollution mitigation, sustainable urban mobility and street redevelopment across Haryana's NCR districts.
"The PMU will provide technical support for designing 'complete streets' with pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, creating clean air zones, rationalising electric bus routes, and integrating landscape-based dust mitigation and construction waste reuse into public projects," Raahgiri Foundation said in a statement.
(With inputs from PTI)