Resident associations flag gaps in pollution control measures

Delhi’s state and municipal agencies have little documented planning or coordination for enforcing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for curbing winter pollution, United Residents’ Joint Action (URJA), Delhi’s major umbrella body of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), said on Friday.

The city’s RWA representatives said while responding to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by the Delhi Clean Air Forum (DCAF) under URJA, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) showed “limited planning, weak coordination and almost no documented review of actions mandated under GRAP”.

Atul Goyal, president, URJA, said they had sought information on seven key areas, including machinery available for pollution control, deployment of dust-mitigation equipment, formation of ward-level teams, engagement with RWAs, minutes of meetings held by Sub-Divisional Magistrates, blueprints prepared by the 14 GRAP-responsible departments and details of review meetings and budget use.

The replies, according to the RWA body, indicate that “most departments have not developed standard operating procedures, held no planning meetings and not created ward-level teams needed for seasonal pollution management.” The RWA body stated that municipal corporations, PWD, traffic police, DMRC, Delhi Jal Board and other agencies listed under GRAP appear to have made no detailed plans or blueprints for implementation.

In several cases, officials transferred the RTI request internally, suggesting they had little knowledge of actions taken within their own departments, URJA representatives claimed.

A separate letter from URJA to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), written earlier in November 2024, highlights mismatches between GRAP rules and actual enforcement on the ground.

It notes, “While large-scale events such as the G20 summit saw effective traffic management and deployment of additional personnel, no comparable measures were taken during GRAP Stage 3 and 4 restrictions, despite hazardous levels of air pollution.”

The letter points to continued plying of restricted BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles, idling caused by barricades, poor waste management and delays in basic actions such as water sprinkling and mechanised sweeping.

The CAQM, in response, asked the DPCC to take necessary action and reply to URJA. But the RTI responses accessed later suggest that little progress was made on coordination or monitoring, the RWA body said.