India’s Environment Minister Reviews Air Quality Situation in Delhi

Chairing a high-level review meeting on Air Quality in Delhi NCR today, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, asked all concerned State and Union Territory authorities to submit concrete action taken reports on air pollution management efforts undertaken in their respective fields.

This was the 4th such review meeting to assess ongoing measures to prevent and control air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife, Government of NCT of Delhi, Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, was present during the meeting.

Mr Yadav, upon reviewing the ongoing efforts to control air pollution, requested that the concerned authorities prepare a District-wise plan for crop residue management and conduct year-round monitoring of stubble-burning cases.

He further asked the district authorities to undertake capacity-building and train farmers to operate Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines, while ensuring their widespread access.

Further, Mr Yadav stressed the need to ensure zero tolerance and maintain constant vigil against open burning of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). He requested the Municipal Authorities of NCR cities to prepare a strict timeline to address gaps in legacy waste management and accelerate its liquidation.

Mr Yadav encouraged the authorities not to work in silos and share best practices for MSW management amongst themselves.

The Minister stated that installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) should be taken up in mission mode in the Red Category industries in Delhi NCR.

To minimise road dust, Mr Yadav reviewed the Road Redevelopment Roadmaps for the identified Urban/Industrialised areas of NCR. He asked the authorities to ensure the quality and timely completion of the road construction works.

Mr Yadav stressed the need to plug off-take and processing gaps for Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste and encouraged Government authorities to take the lead, along with the private sector.

In addition, the Minister encouraged various authorities to undertake roadside greening works in a mission mode to minimise dust generation. He suggested that various Municipal Corporations in NCR start developing saplings in Nurseries, in coordination with the respective forest departments, which could then be planted on a broad scale on degraded forest lands to boost green cover in the region.

Further, Mr Yadav requested the Delhi Traffic Police to prepare Traffic Management Plans for the identified traffic congestion hotspots and to expedite the implementation of the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) in the National Capital to minimise vehicular pollution generated by traffic jams.

The Minister reiterated the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving air quality in Delhi and the NCR region through coordinated action and collaboration with all stakeholders, including citizens.

The meeting witnessed participation from key stakeholders, including the CAQM, CPCB, the Governments of the NCT of Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab, Municipal Commissioners of NCR Cities, and other concerned agencies.

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Measures taken by CAQM to control air pollution in Delhi and the NCR region. Read here.