Special schemes to tackle pollution in Indian capital

Rising air pollution found mention in the 2018-19 Union Budget speech and was termed a “cause of concern”, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday announced support to tackle the menace in the National Capital Region (NCR).

In a brief reference to air pollution — one of the worst crisis faced by the national capital and region around it in 2017 — Jaitley announced a “special scheme” to manage crop residue, a major contributor to air pollution.

The Minister however did not disclose the amount to be extended to help the governments in Delhi and neighbouring states. “Air pollution has been a cause of concern in Delhi-NCR ... Special scheme will be implemented to support the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address it and subsidise machinery for management of crop residue,” Jaitley said while presenting the Budget.

With stubble burning, especially in Punjab and Haryana, at centre stage in 2017 November and much of December, Delhi and surrounding regions choked on “severe plus or emergency” level of air quality with environment bodies imposing emergency level restrictions on polluting activities like construction, industry and truck movement. Schools across the National Capital Regions were also shut for a few days. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is estimated to be around 35 million tonnes.