NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday announced a summer action plan which will be introduced soon to tackle pollution in the city. Rai during a press conference said that both long-term and immediate solutions will be implemented from April to September under the plan on the lines of the winter action plan.
The minister on Monday held a joint meeting with stakeholder departments including environment, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and municipal corporations, among others to discuss about the same. The next meeting has been scheduled for April 11.
“During winters, pollution levels rise across the national capital. A graph depicting the status of pollution levels throughout the year shows a decrease from January to March and then again a rise from September to December. Now that summer is here, we discussed the situation with departments concerned and came to a conclusion that in order for the winter action plan to be effective, a constructive summer action plan is also required,” said Rai.
According to officials, it was decided that from April and September, the government will work on both emergency as well as long-term measures. “A follow-up meeting will be held in which based on the suggestions, we will declare the final plan. After this, we will focus towards its implementation during the summer season,” said an official.
Rai further said that during the meeting, 14 major points including — open burning, road dust pollution, industrial emissions, urban farming, increasing city’s roadside green cover, development of parks, tree plantation, development of water bodies and city forests, among others — have been discussed, based on which the action plan will be formulated.
The minister stressed that 31 per cent of the air pollution in the national capital is from local sources and the rest is from outside.
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