DC for concrete plan to tackle air pollution

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 15

In order to formulate a plan to decrease the level of air pollution in the holy city, Deputy Commissioner Shivdular Singh held a meeting with officials of the Pollution Control Board, Municipal Corporation, Food and Civil Supplies, traffic police, transport, PWD, NHAI, agriculture and industry.

The DC said though the air quality index had seen an improvement in the last few years, more needs to be done to better it further. He asked the officials concerned to formulate a plan to promote the use of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and cars. At present, the city has only three stations supplying CNG. To promote CNG vehicles, the DC said that increase in the availability of CNG stations can help in promoting the vehicles as people would get the fuel easily.

“At present, the city has a total of around 450 CNG-run vehicles. The number is too less to make any significant change and if this number goes up it will surely help,” he said.

He also asked the officials to check the centres issuing pollution-free certificates to vehicles so that it could be ascertained that if they were doing their duty diligently.

It was also suggested to install weighing centres at toll plazas so that te entry of overloaded vehicles could be checked.

The DC also asked the officials to ensure that the under-construction buildings followed the prescribed norms as they displaced a huge quantity of dust particles in the air. In an instruction issued to the MC, he asked it to use water from sewage treatment plants for sprinkling alongside roads instead of potable water. The deputy commissioner also asked the officials to confiscate the generator sets installed along roadsides and take action against the owners.