NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday will chair a meeting to discuss department-wise responsibilities under the 15-point winter action plan to fight air pollution in the season. Officials said he will designate special tasks to departments concerned which will have to furnish a detailed report on curbing air pollution from a particular source.
The department will oversee the implementation of the interventions to mitigate winter pollution. The action plan will focus on stubble management, dust pollution, vehicular emission, open burning of garbage, industrial pollution, green war room and Green Delhi application, pollution hotspots, real-time apportionment study, smog tower, e-waste parks, plantation, eco-farming, public participation, firecrackers, among other things.
All the action points will be discussed in detail with the 33 departments concerned. The meeting will also brainstorm on the implementation of the revised Graded Response Action Plan. The revamped GRAP, a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in Delhi and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation, will come into force from October 1, 15 days before the usual date, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management.
The revised plan, which is part of a new policy formulated by the CAQM to abate air pollution in Delhi-NCR, focuses on proactive implementation of the curbs based on forecasts which can be imposed up to three days in advance. Earlier, the authorities would implement the measures only after the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations touched a particular threshold.
Action plan to focus on