Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that his government will collaborate with the Centre and neighbouring states to tackle air pollution as winter approaches in the national capital. With winter comes Delhi’s annual struggle with smog, poor visibility and a drop in air quality.
Mr. Kejriwal listed out the various measures being taken up by his government as part of a 15-point winter action plan, including the formation of various teams to monitor major sources of pollution.
“I’m happy to inform you that there has been a dip of 18% in PM 10 levels in the city this time due to the steps we have been taking according to a recent report by the Centre,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
“Delhi’s green cover was 20% before we formed the government. It has now increased to over 23%. This year, we will not only collaborate with the Centre but also neighbouring states to ensure that air pollution is tackled effectively,” he said.
The Delhi government will also install 233 anti-smog guns and 150 mobile anti-smog guns to curb pollution.
He said that the state has implemented the Supreme Court-mandated Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) effectively and also received help from the Central Government, which constructed the peripheral highways around Delhi so that trucks don’t enter the city.
“As many as 586 teams have been formed to keep an eye on construction sites in the city and implement our anti-dust plan for the winter,” said Mr. Kejriwal. “We have also formed 380 teams for the strict enforcement of adherence to Pollution Under Control certificates and ensure that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years don’t operate.”
The Chief Minister added that over 3,500 people have registered to volunteer as paryavaran mitras (friends of the environment) for the cause of the environment so far, and that 33 lakh trees have already been planted, with nine lakh more expected from October 15.
