Govt calls for regional plan to fight pollution
Scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee who attended the meeting said that crop burning has emerged as the major factor for the prevailing conditions.
NEWDELHI: Terming crop residue burning in the neighbouring states as one of the major reasons for the prevailing air quality in the Capital, Delhi government on Thursday requested the Centre to take all possible steps to check the practice.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain, who also heads the special task force on environment constituted by the Delhi government, said that the worst air quality is being observed after midnight and not during early morning hours as being suggested from several quarters.
While Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain wrote to union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave, seeking Centre’s intervention, Jain chaired a meeting of the stakeholders following a direction from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The NGT on Thursday directed chief secretary KK Sharma to hold an immediate meeting on pollution and submit a roadmap for tackling the deteriorating air quality.
Following the meeting, Jain said a regional action plan was the only way out to check bad air quality in the city as the pollution levels in the city have direct connection with certain factors in NCR towns and neighbouring states.
“Scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee who attended the meeting said that crop burning has emerged as the major factor for the prevailing conditions. Pictures issued by NASA further corroborate the theory. The stable wind conditions have added to the problem. Therefore we need to have a regional action plan and for which we have already approached the Centre,” Jain said.
In his letter to the Union minister, Imran Hussain, requested the central government to take effective steps to immediately stop three contributing factors to air pollution in the city. It includes crop burning in neighbouring states particularly Punjab and Haryana, restriction on plying of diesel taxis and autos in NCR and strict enforcement against overloaded trucks that are not meant for Delhi.
The communication comes a day ahead of a meeting convened by the union minister (forest and environment) of environment secretaries of northern states on Friday.
“I request you to kindly intervene and personally impress upon the neighbouring states to take necessary corrective measures at the earliest so that together we are able to control pollution in the NCR region,” the letter stated.