NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will start working on a Winter Action Plan to check air pollution that occurs at the end of year, environment minister Gopal Rai announced on Tuesday.
At the same time, he said, neighbouring states need to join in this effort for ensuring best results. “The Delhi government is committed towards making the state pollution-free. The environment ministry and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee will start working on the Winter Action Plan from next week. The fight will be easier if all the states cooperate.”
As the end of September approaches, paddy harvesting begins and it is followed by wheat sowing season. It is the period when farmers especially in Punjab and Haryana burn paddy stubble resulting in smoke covering large swathes in national Capital Region.This results in a drastic drop in air quality in and around Delhi resulting in health problems as well as embarrassment to the country.
After the states were unable to chart out an overall roadmap to check air pollution, the Supreme Court had constituted a Commission for Air Quality Management to find ways fpr dealing with the problem at a national level.
Rai said that a delegation from Delhi government will meet the Commission members and explain to them the “innovative battle” led by the national capital against the air pollution. “Last year, we launched the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign to minimise vehicular pollution... set up a ‘Green War Room’ to monitor and coordinate anti-pollution efforts. We also conducted an anti-dust campaign which can be replicated in NCR areas of other states.”The AAP government claims that it has not only been able to reduce air pollution in the past six years but also introduced implemented new techniques to curb and manage pollution.