Member Secretary of AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) BSS Prasad has opined that pollution in cities and towns could be kept under control only when all the stakeholders performed their roles effectively.
He was speaking at the inaugural of a day-long workshop for stakeholders was organised, jointly by the Central Pollution Control Board and A.P. Pollution Control Board (APPCB), for the non-attainment cities and towns of southern zone states in India, here on Friday.
He said the PCBs alone could not improve the air quality. All the stakeholders and other departments must involve and play their roles in the abatement of air pollution. For example the APPCB Zonal Office in Visakhapatnam, records the data of pollutants everyday and sends a report every month to the District Collector, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Transport Department and the Police Commissioner and they have to initiate the necessary measures as the execution authorities.
The Transport officials should conduct random checks of vehicles to ensure that the emissions were in accordance with the regulations and the police could ensure better traffic management practices to prevent traffic jams on some roads and lean traffic on others. The GVMC should take steps for proper maintenance of roads for the smooth flow of traffic.
Graded response plan
Additional Director of Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, Prashant Gargav gave a PowerPoint presentation on their experience in preparation of graded response action plan for New Delhi. Further, he advised all the State Pollution Control Boards to prepare graded response action plan in consultation with the concerned stake holder departments.
Additional Director, CPCB, Bangalore, S. Suresh and Joint Chief Environmental Engineer, PCB, Visakhapatnam, N.V. Bhaskar Rao spoke.
