The Delhi administration is rushing to combat the yearly air problem as the city faces an imminent air catastrophe. To reduce the growing amounts of pollution in the air there have been a number of action plans Action Plans To Reduce Delhi Air Pollution.

Winter Action Plan(Before Diwali)

After Diwali is the time period when Delhi experiences the highest AQI. Therefore, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal presented a 10-point “Winter action plan” on October 4, 2021 to tackle air pollution in Delhi.

The measures taken were :- 

  • Dust management
  • Usage of the Pusa bio-decomposer
  • Installation of smog towers. So far, the smog tower (at Connaught Place) has shown positive effects. 
  • Reduction of garbage burning and traffic emissions.
  • Green war rooms will be strengthened, and a public campaign will be launched. A programme management unit has been set up in the green war room with the support of the University of Chicago and GDI Partners. After that, 50 environmental engineers have been inducted into it
  • In Delhi, the country’s first e-waste eco-park is being built.
  • The Delhi administration has organised 75 teams to audit construction sites and 250 teams to monitor rubbish burning.
  • Outlawed the sale and purchase of firecrackers entirely 
  • Pollution hotspots are being monitored by special personnel. To minimise vehicle pollution, steps will also be taken to address traffic congestion on 64 targeted roadways. As a result, 500 teams have been formed to review Pollution Under Control certifications.

delhi smog tower installed by Arvind Kejriwal

What did Arvind Kejriwal urge the other states to do?

  • Asked neighboring states to upgrade thermal power plants in NCR regions and promoted the use of CNG-powered cars and cleaner fuel.
  • He urged the governments of neighboring countries to work together to clean up the air.
  • Encouraged the Centre and states to provide free bio-decomposer spraying for in-situ crop residue management.

According to Kejriwal, the Centre and neighboring states have done little to prevent stubble burning. As a result, smog will be prevalent throughout the winter months in Delhi. 

Delhi government’s Current efforts to address the problem

On November 13, 2021, the Delhi administration convened a review meeting. Gopal Rai, the Delhi Environment Minister, presided over a high-level conference to evaluate the city’s limits. Moreover, the conference was attended by officials from the :-

  • Environment Department
  • Public Works Department (PWD)
  • Delhi Police
  • Traffic Police
  • Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)
  • New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)

Steps Taken to Curb the Pollution

  • The city banned building and demolition operations until November 21.
  • The Government ordered its staff to work from home until Sunday.
  • It hired 1,000 private CNG vehicles to bolster the public transportation system.
  • Trucks carrying non-essential commodities are prohibited from entering the city
  • Schools and universities are closed until additional restrictions are issued.
  • On light of the current air pollution, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday permitted standing passengers in Metro trains and buses. Threfore, the carrying capacity of public transportation systems increased.
    • According to a DDMA regulation, each Metro train coach would be permitted 30 standing passengers.
  • The new laws would also prohibit the movement of diesel cars older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.
  • Certificates of pollution under control (PUC) will be examined at gasoline stations on a regular basis.
  • The environment minister also stated that a Special Task Force of the Traffic Police would be established. This is to improve traffic flow and reduce pollution caused by vehicle congestion.
  • There are now 372 water sprinkling tanks in use in Delhi. Moreover, to ensure greater water sprinkling, fire department water machines will be stationed in 13 hotspots.
  • In factories, only gas will be permitted. For instance, if dirty fuel is identified, action will be taken.

Different Campaigns to Curb Air Pollution

A number of campaigns were started by the government to mitigate air pollution.

  • To prevent waste incineration in the open, a huge Anti-Open-Burning Campaign was sterted on November 11 in Delhi.
  • The second phase of the Anti-Dust Campaign will take down dust pollution fiercely. In this regard, all departments have been asked to develop their own Anti-Dust Cells.
  • The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) would intensify the attack on pollution sources.
  • The second part of the fortnight-long “Red Light On, Gadi Off” campaign began at 100 crossings around Delhi. Every day, on average, one individual wastes gasoline for 20-25 minutes at traffic intersections. However, this is a waste of resources and a significant cause of pollution. The ‘Red Light On, Gadi Off’ campaign’s primary goal is to minimise automobile pollution in the city. The campaign’s first phase began on October 18 and ended on November 18. Finally, it has been decided to prolong the campaign for another 15 days, starting today and ending on December 3.

These were some of the action plans by Delhi Government to reduce air pollution. In conclusion, let us not reach at a situation where it becomes, “Too little, too late”. Let us start acting soon towards a cleaner and greener air. For instance, Share this article to the people you know and educate them towards cleaner air.