Air pollution: Centre sets up seven-member panel

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 9

Taken to task by the NHRC and the NGT on deadly smog hanging over the NCR, the Centre on Thursday constituted a seven-member committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to continuously monitor the short-term and long-term solutions to air pollution. 

The Committee will meet at regular, short intervals to draw up a plan and ensure enforcement. Its other members of include, secretary, Science & Technology; Secretary, Department of Biotechnology; Additional Secretary, Niti Aayog; Chief Secretary, Delhi; Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board and Representative of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

According to officials, several other critical issues were deliberated upon at a meeting held in the Environment Ministry here today, to discuss and review the situation arising out of air pollution in Delhi and National Capital Region. 

Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) C.K. Mishra, held a meeting with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) to assess the current situation of air quality and work out the future course of action. Chairman, EPCA, Bhure Lal, Member, EPCA, Sunita Narain and officers of MoEF&CC were among those who attended the meeting.

A decision was taken at the meeting to request respective state governments to fully implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including control of road and construction dust, garbage burning, control of power plants and industrial emissions, entry of vehicles and several other related factors. 

It was also decided to ensure that apart from other directions, closure of brick kilns, hot mix plants, stone crushers, intensification of public transport, sprinkling of water and mechanised sweeping of roads, ban on construction, ban on use of pet coke and furnace oil should be fully implemented and respective implementing agencies held accountable. CPCB has been asked to continuously monitor the situation.

As meteorological conditions have been a major factor for the current situation, the issues likely to impact it were also discussed at the meeting. It was also decided to ensure that the directions issued by the MoEF&CC/CPCB/EPCA are implemented by all the concerned agencies and the hotspots are visited regularly to assess the situation.