Areaspecific plans to curb pollution by Sep 15
WINTER AHEAD CPCB also tells agencies to spell out how steps will be implemented
NEWDELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has asked all government agencies in Delhi, including the police and civic bodies, to prepare locality specific plans to control pollution during winter.
These micro plans would contain details of local sources of air pollution, measures to be taken to control them, and how these steps would be implemented. The civic agencies have also been asked to submit the list of places where maximum violations take place, how many personnel would be posted in the field to implement the measures, how many mechanical sweepers would be pressed into service, and which roads were most dusty among others.
“The agencies have been asked to submit their plans by September 15. This would help because by the time the air quality starts dipping from mid-october and the Graded Response Action Plan comes into play, we would have a field plan ready to tackle sources of pollution. It would also help to monitor as to how the measures are being implemented on the ground,” said P Gargava, member secretary of CPCB, country’s apex pollution controlling and monitoring body.
The micro plans are necessary because monthly data on pollution levels (PM10 and PM2.5) available with CPCB from across 38 automatic air quality monitoring stations in Delhi show that not only the levels of pollution differ from place to place within the city, but even the nature of pollutants is different.
“While in some places such as CRRI and Anand Vihar, coarse dust particles are very high, in other places such as ITO, DU North Campus and Mandir Marg it is the ultrafine particles that are causing problems. The sources of coarse dust and ultrafine particles are different. Hence we need different steps,” said a senior CPCB official.
In areas where coarse dust particles are high, measures such Measures needed: Sustained dust control measures Measures needed: Control road dust and C&D actvities Measures needed: Control open burning, vehicle and congestion
Measures needed: Extensive multi-dimensional measures to control both dust from roads, C&D and also control vehicular emissions
Najafgarh Dwarka IGI Airport
as mechanical sweeping of roads and water sprinkling are needed. However, in areas where PM2.5 levels are high, stress would be given on controlling vehicular emissions by clearing congestion and stop burning of garbage.
The primary pollutants in Delhi’s air are particulate matter – PM10 and PM2.5. Other pollutants such as SO2, NO2 and Ozone mostly remain within the prescribed limits, barring a few days at some stations.
“This year, however, Delhi has witnessed better air quality till August 26. The number of clean-air days has increased and those with foul air quality have dropped,” said a CPCB official.