Plan to cut air pollution in Baddi

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, January 2

In a bid to reduce air pollution in the state’s industrial towns of Baddi and Nalagarh, which were listed in the non-attainment cities having higher air pollution level, a comprehensive action plan has been chalked out by the officials of the State Pollution Control Board (PCB).

Various short, mid and long term measures have been devised by the officials and departments like Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority, local Municipal Committees, PWD and Himachal Housing and Urban Development have also been included to achieve ambient air quality levels, informed Board’s Executive Engineer, Brijbhushan.

Short term measures include ensuring complete ban on biomass and garbage burning in the area, ensuring proper management of solid waste as per the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 with special stress on checking instance of fire in the waste storage areas before its scientific disposal.

With jhuggis proving to be a source of reckless pollution, their removal in a time-bound manner to a designated site with requisite infrastructure should be ensured. The residents of these jhuggis should be discouraged from using fossil fuels for cooking as they contribute in a big way to the air pollution.

Curbing encroachment by scrap dealers in a time-bound manner and shifting them to a designated site with requisite infrastructure has also been stressed.

Certain initiatives have also been devised in coordination with the Department of Environment. Such initiatives include complete ban on use of husk fired boilers in the future. The existing industries should submit an action plan to phase out the use of husk fired boilers and stress should be laid on maximizing use of solar system instead of using DG sets etc, which contribute to air pollution.

Ensuring disposal of hazardous and solid waste to authorized agencies only and disallowing open burning of any type of solid waste have also been proposed as added measures. Use of public transport for workforce instead of use of individual vehicles has also been recommended.

A monitoring mechanism for strict implementation of these recommendations has also been devised. Each concerned department shall submit its progress report on monthly basis to the HP State Pollution Control Board and the board was supposed to observe the gradual decrease in air pollution level. Though various departments were also directed to submit individual action plans for mitigating air pollution but little response has been received from them as yet.

With a view to reduce emissions from vehicles, the RTO is also supposed to introduce a slew of measures which include ensuring that all vehicles have a valid pollution certification from authorized centres. Regular check on overloading by commercial vehicles and public transport and chalking out a comprehensive traffic management plan to avoid traffic congestion besides construction of additional bridges for one way traffic near Toll Tax barrier (Pinjore-Baddi road) and Lakkar Pul (Baddi-Barotiwala road) have also been proposed.

Ban on biomass, garbage burning

• Measures include ensuring complete ban on biomass and garbage burning in the area and ensuring proper management of solid waste.
• With jhuggis proving to be a source of reckless pollution, their removal in a time-bound manner to a designated site with requisite infrastructure should be ensured. 
• The residents of these jhuggis should be discouraged from using fossil fuels for cooking as they contribute in a big way to the air pollution.