NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will keep a check on stubble burning and vehicular emissions to control air pollution in the city during the winter season.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday held series of review meetings with high-ranking officials from key departments of environment, forest, transport and development to deliberate upon the steps needed to be taken to curb air pollution.
“The principal focus of this meeting was to lay an outline for the plan. We have drafted an outline keeping in mind the areas that require the focus of the government,” informed Rai.
Every year the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority’s Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is implemented with the plummeting levels of air quality in and around the city. A method implemented earlier to control the pollution was the ‘odd-even’ car rationing scheme.
According to Rai, this year’s action plan will be different in a way that it will focus more on controlling the sources of pollution.
“Odd-even scheme is our last resort. It will be implemented only if the situation demands. We have other measures that could control air pollution. A joint action plan with neighbouring states is the key to this fight,” added the environment minister, not ruling out the implementing the ‘odd-even’ scheme.
According to the government, a smog tower — established a month ago; Pusa bio-decomposer — started on a pilot basis last year, and the Green App — launched two years ago are the steps already taken by it, which will now be enhanced. An inter-departmental meeting will be held on September 14 to finalise the Winter Action Plan.
However, the Opposition BJP has questioned the government on having just “plans”.
“The plan presented today is a hoax. The government is presenting a plan of actions for the future, but is not telling what it has done so far. Instead of plans on paper, show us what you have done in the last seven years,” said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
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