A day after the Delhi government set up a new committee to check polluters, environmentalists on Friday said that while action plans and monitoring panels were welcome, action against air pollution was still lacking.
Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Thursday had announced the formation of a six-member committee to conduct surprise inspections to check violations of pollution-control norms. The move came after air quality in the Capital dipped to ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories this week, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
‘Cut pollution by 35%’
“Formation of committees and action plans has been happening for the past three years. Where we are lacking is in setting targets and in actions. For example, the Delhi government says they are getting 500 buses, but why 500? Is it enough? We should have a target to reduce pollution by 35% for example and then set up committees and announce plans,” said Sunil Dahiya, a campaigner with Greenpeace India.
He said that while this winter there had been steps taken to reduce pollution — like shutting down the Badarpur power plant and opening of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway — there was a need for more “sustainable steps”.
“It is sad that our political leaders lack the political will and only react after pressure from the media and public at the onset of winter,” he said, adding that the measures to reduce pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) needed to be taken year-round.
Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the focus now needed to be on implementation.
This winter, she said, will be the first when both the emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and the long-term measures under the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) would be implemented in the NCR. While the CBCB notified GRAP last year, it rolled out the CAP earlier this year.
“This winter is starting with both long-term and emergency measures in place. The governments need to now spruce up capacity on the ground, so that means having more people checking waste burning, etc,” she said.
Pollution hotspots
Ms. Roychowdhury added that there was also a need to adopt a “pollution hotspot” approach, which would target sources of pollution in a particular area with high levels of pollution.
Meanwhile, the governments in the NCR have begun a blame-game over the increasing pollution levels.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet on Friday: “V sad that Central, Punjab and Haryana Govts did absolutely nothing for the farmers. As a result, the farmers will suffer on one hand and Delhi will become a gas chamber soon. [sic].”
