Delhi gears up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in ensuing winter season

Special focus on control of pollution from transport, road and construction dust, bursting of firecrackers

New Delhi: With the aim to take strict measures to control air pollution during the winter months in Delhi, when the air pollution significantly deteriorates, due to climatic conditions and anthropogenic factors including episodic events like agriculture residue burning, bursting of fire crackers etc., Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas, CAQM held a review meeting with Chief Secretary Delhi, Chairperson NDMC, Principal Secretary Environment, Commissioner MCD, Commissioner, Transport and other Senior Officers of Govt. of NCT of Delhi including DPCC.

CAQM has already published the revised GRAP in July, 2023 extensively capturing the preventive and restrictive actions to be taken across various air pollution causing sectors depending upon the difference stages of adverse air quality in Delhi.

The GRAP envisages 27 actions under Stage – I, 11 under Stage – II, 08 under Stage – III and 08 under Stage – IV. They inter-alia include intensifying mechanized sweeping, use of anti-smog guns, water sprinklings, enforcement of PUC norms for vehicles, control and regulated use of DG sets, ensure uninterrupted power supply by DISCOMs, restrictions on the plying of end-of-life vehicles and BS III and BS IV petrol and diesel vehicles etc.

GNCT of Delhi has 7,041 buses i.e. 4,088 DTC buses and 2,953 cluster buses, including 456 e-buses and 94 mini electric buses. There is plan to augment public transport by adding 850 buses by September, 2023 and 650 buses by March, 2024. As on 23rd September, 2023, 943 PUC certification stations are operational in Delhi and 33.56 lakh PUC certificates have been issued in NCT of Delhi.

Delhi has more than 2.38 lakh EVs registered in Delhi till 22nd September, 2023. Delhi currently has 3,100 charging stations, 4,793 charging points and 318 swapping stations and target is to set-up 18,000 public and 30,000 private / semi-public charging stations by 2025.

The GRAP also provides 10, 05 and 06 expected actionable points from Citizens as part of Citizen Charter during Stage – I, II and III respectively to contribute towards air pollution control measures. Government of NCT of Delhi was advised to give wider publicity to GRAP and Citizen Charter.

As part of dust control measures, Delhi has 83 Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines for mechanized sweeping. The average road length mechanically swept per day is about 2,700 km. About 125 metric tonnes of road dust is being collected and disposed of per day. 320 water sprinklers are also being deployed in Delhi covering an average of 2,600 km. of road per day. It was advised to augment the capacity and intensification of use of mechanized road sweeping and sprinkling of water.

Presently, 389 Anti-Smog Guns (ASG) are under deployment to control dust in and around buildings, roads and open areas besides ASGs installed at C & D sites. Delhi has identified more than 90 high rise buildings for deployment of ASGs, against which ASGs have been installed in 47 Government and 43 private high-rise buildings. It was informed in the meeting that Government Departments including MCD, DCB, DDA, NDMC, PWD, NHAI, NBCC, CPWD etc. have been directed to identify more high-rise buildings for installation of ASGs.

The need to strictly enforce the Government / Court Orders on storage, sale and use of fire crackers was also highlighted to control pollution from episodic events in view of the fact that many festivals this year coincide with the peak paddy harvesting season in northern India.

Delhi Government has identified 13 hotspots namely Anand Vihar, Mundka, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, R K Puram, Rohini, Punjabi Bagh, Okhla, Bawana, Vivek Vihar, Narela, Ashok Vihar and Dwarka for control of pollution from hotspots. Inventorization of major air pollution sources form hotspots have been completed for focused preventive actions. It was advised to deploy Nodal Officers specifically to address air pollution from hotspots, as per the Plan of action.

It was assured at the meeting that various implementing agencies will regularly review air pollution control measures by taking strict and effective action across various sectors as well as enforcement of actionable steps listed under GRAP.