Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a campaign against air pollution, ahead of winter.
There is a spike in pollution across north Indian States during the season, especially between October and December, said Mr. Kejriwal.
The announcement came following Mr. Kejriwal’s meeting with several government agencies including multiple departments, civic bodies and the police over the issue.
“Over the last 5 years, the people of Delhi have ensured that pollution levels do not increase despite increase in traffic and industrial activity. In fact, these have actually decreased,” Mr. Kejriwal said at a digital briefing.
“In 2014, PM 2.5 levels were at the average level of 154; this reduced by 25% to 115 in 2018-19. This year, pollution can be deadly for us because the Coronavirus has spread all around us,” he also said.
Beginning Monday, Mr. Kejriwal said, the Delhi government would begin multiple initiatives to tackle pollution levels in the city, including the creation of a 24x7 war room, pollution hotspots and the repair of potholes.
One of the most significant aspects of the campaign, he said, was the use of the bio-decomposer technique developed by the PUSA research institute which the Delhi government will be taking to farmers’ doorsteps from Tuesday.
The government would also seek to rein in dust pollution at construction sites and undertake mechanical sweeping even as the agencies concerned had been directed to repair potholes from which dust emanates in their jurisdiction.
“We have also delineated 13 pollution hotspots for which detailed and specific plans will be made. We are creating the ‘Green Delhi’ app, which will receive complaints of pollution that will be need to be taken care in a time-bound manner,” he said.
The Delhi government will also create a war room, where air pollution levels will be monitored around the clock, he said.
“This war room will be monitored by me personally and will send me a report every day,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
The Chief Minister also appealed to other State governments to ensure that they too figured out alternatives to help their farmers deal with the issue of stubble like in Delhi and to ensure that coal-based power plants and brick kilns located near the capital were not allowed to operate.
