Use pre-winter window to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR: Bhupender Yadav in meet with Haryana CM
Union Minister says timely execution, effective coordination and strict enforcement critical to achieving visible improvements in Delhi-NCR's air quality
In a comprehensive review meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav emphasised the need for accelerated implementation, stronger inter-agency coordination and strict enforcement to ensure substantial reduction in pollution levels before the onset of the winter season.
Yadav said, "The window before the winter season must be fully utilised to implement pollution control measures in mission mode. Timely execution, effective coordination and strict enforcement will be critical to achieving visible improvements in Delhi-NCR's air quality."
Reviewing measures to curb road dust, the minister requested that end-to-end paving and greening of roads with local species shrubs/grasses during monsoons be undertaken on priority, with focused attention on pothole identification and repair, construction of footpaths and pavements, roadside greening and deep cleaning of roads.
The Union Minister also requested that all gaps in the deployment of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) be bridged by September this year. He further suggested that all MRSMs be geo-tagged to facilitate real-time monitoring of road-cleaning operations and improve accountability.
Reviewing the status of electric mobility, Yadav stressed that deployment of electric buses across the NCR municipal corporations in Haryana should be expedited, noting significant gaps in the existing fleet.
On the issue of end-of-life (EoL) vehicles, Yadav requested the authorities to expedite issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for transfer of eligible EoL vehicles outside the NCR, while simultaneously encouraging scientific scrapping of old and unfit vehicles.
Yadav requested that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras be installed at all fuel stations for effective implementation of the "No PUCC, No Fuel" initiative.
Referring to municipal solid waste (MSW) and biomass burning, Yadav called for the constitution of dedicated task forces and emphasised achieving 100 per cent collection of municipal solid waste and biomass to eliminate littering and prevent open burning.
On stubble burning, the Environment Minister requested the state government to bridge gaps in procurement of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery and accelerate establishment of Custom Hiring Centres. He suggested that local elected representatives identify stubble-burning hotspots in coordination with gram panchayats.
