NEW DELHI: The over 150 new air pollution hotspots identified by the Delhi government under the Winter Action Plan mostly include those with road dust emissions, open dumping of waste and vacant plots where waste is burnt. A large number of these sites are near metro stations and under flyovers.
According to environment department officials, some of the hotspots include under-construction sites such as Trilokpuri metro station while others are unpaved areas around metro stations such as Pashchim Vihar, Surajmal Vihar and Shivaji Park, among others.
Key stretches such as Sri Aurobindo Marg, Cariappa Marg, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Munirka market, Asaf Ali Road, Chandni Chowk and Chhatra Marg-Delhi University are also among the pollution hotspots. Besides municipal solid waste, dumping of construction and demolition waste is rampant at these sites.
Unlike the already existing 13 major hotspots that were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee based on the particulate matter concentrations in those areas being higher than the city’s average pollution levels, the new hotspots are identified based on people’s complaints.
"The spots have been identified based on the number of complaints being received from people on the Green Delhi app. Open dumping goes unchecked and this waste is eventually put to fire, especially during the winter. This adds to the already high pollution levels during this time," said an official.
A senior East Delhi Municipal Corporation official said though the civic body had not received the hotspot list yet, it had deployed 64 teams each for night and day patrolling across all its 64 municipal wards. "Different teams have been assigned to check garbage dumping/burning and dumping of construction/demolition waste in the open," the official said.
Col BK Oberoi, standing committee chairman of South MCD, said enforcement teams are actively patrolling the hotspot. "We plan to bring a proposal making it mandatory for contractors to dispose of construction/demolition waste at zonal manufacturing units. This will ensure a large volume of such waste is not left on the roads or in vacant plots," said Col Oberoi.
Noida hotspots
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has identified eight key pollution hotspots in Noida and Greater Noida and directed local authorities to ensure implementation of an action plan to check it.