Combating air pollution: Govt to offer financial help to civic agencies

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5

With the national Capital continuing to battle with high levels of particulate matter, the Delhi Government will offer financial assistance to the civic agencies for controlling air pollution.

Directing nodal agencies to crack down on local factors affecting the city’s air quality, Environment Minister Imran Hussain today said funds will be provided to municipal corporations, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), etc., if they approach the Delhi Government with viable action plans for air pollution control.

Hussain was reviewing the action taken by various agencies/departments, including Department of Revenue, Public Works Department (PWD), Transport, three MCDs, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), DDA, Delhi Cantonment Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and traffic police, assigned with the responsibility of prohibition of burning in the open and prevention of dust at construction sites.

During the meeting, officers of the Environment Department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) informed that metrological conditions viz. low temperatures, low wind speed and high moisture are causing smog conditions in the city presently.

Hussain observed that the local factors contributing to air pollution need to be controlled by all the agencies/departments concerned.

All the commissioners of MCDs were advised to immediately address all the sanitation workers and gardeners so that they could be encouraged to not only detect instances of fire, but also desist from burning the waste/dry leaves.

Hussain also directed municipal corporations to prevent stocking of building material along the roads and in open areas, especially in unauthorised colonies. They are supposed to submit a report within seven days that no building material is lying stacked in open/along side roads in their respective area.

During the meeting, the NDMC shared its experience of washing plantation, including trees, so that the dust collected on such plantations does not get re-suspended in air. The municipal corporations were asked to consider feasibility of similar washing of plantations in their areas.

The DPCC has already activated two WhatsApp numbers — 9717593501 and 9717593574 — for the same and all the departments/agencies concerned are connected to these numbers. The minister directed that all the agencies concerned need to take action on the complaints forwarded by the DPCC to them.