DPCC directed to set up more monitoring stations

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 21

Chairing a high-level meeting on air pollution in Delhi, Lt Governor Anil Baijal today directed Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to set up 20 more real-time monitoring stations and set a deadline of October for 14 new stations.

On the long-pending overflowing landfill sites, the LG office said that the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway has been approached to use ‘dump’ of landfill sites in construction of roads and highways. Construction agencies to explore incentivisation for usage of flyash and construction and demolition waste products.

Baijal directed municipal corporations and Public Works Department to initiate placing of procurement orders for diesel-run mechanical sweeping machines expeditiously.

The Lt. Governor directed all the agencies concerned to ensure that immediate measures required to mitigate air pollution are strictly implemented.

In the meeting, Secretary (Environment & Forest) Chandrakar Bharti, GNCTD, apprised the LG about the action taken report on the decisions taken in the previous meeting held at Raj Nivas in February.

Baijal was informed that the Transport Department has inspected 700 Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certification Centres out of 971 centres that failed to comply with norms.

PUC Centres in Delhi NCR are also being separately inspected by Environment Pollution Control Authority as per the Supreme Court’s order. Vehicles carrying expired PUC must be prosecuted by Traffic Police, said the LG.

Over 4,000 polluting vehicles challaned

Sharing details of violators, transport officials said 4,547 visibly polluting vehicles were challaned by Transport Department in February this year and 60 unauthorised buses found plying in Delhi were impounded. Apart from this, about 400 unauthorised buses were reported in Delhi from 13 locations, on which necessary action has to be initiated immediately.

Baijal directed the Transport Department to take immediate action on more reliable, affordable and comfortable public transport system and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

The LG directed that the Tughlakabad sub-station be made operational by June 2018 and the Power Department has been told to submit plan for complete closure.

For effective enforcement of ban on usage of petcoke/furnace oil/tyre oil in industrial areas of the city, Baijal directed officials to take steps ensuring that the sale of banned fuels is stopped.

Special action teams be constituted by DPCC to punish violators. Ban on sale of the non-approved fuels to be examined, he asserted.