Commission for Air Quality Management frames policy to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR
Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, July 13
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has included clean power and transport among the fundamentals to deal with air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. Besides, greening and plantation on a large scale also feature in its new policy to abate the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
“High-level protection will have to be accorded to the entire stretch of Aravalli range in Haryana and Delhi, and its different categories of forest areas,” the CAQM said in its report, calling for dust and pollution mitigation through forest sinks to control pollution.
“This green walling is needed against desertification and ingress of dust and cleansing of toxic gases,” stated the report aimed at overall amelioration of air quality through differentiated geographical approach and timely action.
The policy incorporates sector-wise recommendations for agencies and departments of the Central Government, NCR states, Government of National Capital Territory (GNCTD), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards.
It, however, has received a mixed response from experts.
Prof SN Tripathi, a steering committee member of the NCAP, said the “comprehensive sector-wise policy developed by the CAQM is a welcome move to control and reduce air pollution”.
However, Dr Arun Sharma, president, Society for Indoor Environment, said: “There is nothing new in this document. What we need is a compendium of actionable points and not a list of what should be done. In this document, the focus is more on monitoring and less on preventive measures. Having said that, it gives some hope.”
The policy focuses on industries, transport, construction and demolition (C&D), dust from roads and open areas, municipal solid waste burning and stubble-burning, among other things. It also lays emphasis on thermal power plants, clean fuels and electric mobility, public transportation, road traffic management, diesel generators and bursting of firecrackers.
The policy, in its chapter on the management of paddy straw through different in-situ measures, stated: “By 2021, more than 13,100 Happy Seeders and 17,600 Super Seeders were available in Punjab, besides other categories of crop residue management (CRM) machinery, including combine harvesters. There is, however, a concern around the under-utilisation of such equipment.”
