Even as the issue of Delhi's severe ambient air quality reached the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear petitions against it on Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the situation and directed government agencies to implement immediate steps aimed at mitigating air pollution.
In addition to measures such as a week-long lockdown on polluting industries and prohibition of construction and demolition activities in Delhi beginning Tuesday, the immediate de-registration of diesel vehicles older than 15 years in addition to bans on overloaded and transiting trucks and the use of fire crackers, except during religious functions, were announced at the conclusion of the two-hour meeting at Raj Niwas.
According to a senior Delhi government official, in a related development, the government was now mulling banning the use of fireworks and generators at weddings on a trial basis later this month; an assessment of the success of the move would be followed by a blanket ban on both activities, except during religious functions, on a permanent basis. A announcement is likely next month.
The meeting at Raj Niwas was attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Public Works Department Minister Satyendar Jain, Environment Minister Imran Hussain, representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Delhi Police and civic bodies in addition to environmental experts including Sunita Narain and Anumita Roy of the Centre for Science and Environment and Professor Manju Mohan from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. “The LG emphasized the need to take extraordinary measures and immediate steps to control air pollution in Delhi, which has got compounded because of several factors such as prevailing meteorological conditions, recent use of fire crackers and agricultural crop burning. He said all concerned must come together on a war footing and he assigned responsibilities to various agencies for strict implementation of decisions taken at the meeting,” said a senior official.
According to the official, the LG issued directions to all registering authorities and Motor Licencing Officers to start the deregistration of diesel vehicles more than 15 years old in a phased manner aimed at bringing about a reduction of two lakh diesel vehicles.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was asked to take all measures to control fires at landfill sites, particularly Bhalswa by utilising PWD construction and demolition malba and sludge generated by Delhi Jal Board water treatment plants.
