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Delhi Government Announces Sweeping Measures to Combat Air Pollution

New Delhi, India – The Delhi government, led by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, today announced a comprehensive plan to tackle the region’s persistent air pollution issues. The announcement comes as Delhi-NCR currently operates under Level 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

A key element of the plan is the immediate repair of all potholes within the Delhi-NCR region within 72 hours. Minister Sirsa emphasized that potholes contribute significantly to dust pollution and traffic congestion, ultimately exacerbating air quality issues.

“Potholes kick up a lot of dust and also slows down traffic, leading to more fuel burn and wastage. The cumulative effect is huge,” said Minister Sirsa.

Further, industrial units contributing to pollution have been given a 20-day ultimatum to comply with environmental regulations or face closure and fines. The Public Works Department (PWD) will handle pothole repairs, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will deploy sprinklers at construction and demolition sites to control dust.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will establish an expert committee comprised of scientists to provide ongoing recommendations on combating pollution.

Additional measures announced include:

  • Installation of water sprinklers in NCR areas, including Faridabad, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad.
  • A focus on extensive tree planting with community involvement.
  • Mandatory Pollution Under Control (PUC) tests for owners of Bharat Stage 2 and Stage 3 vehicles.
  • Prohibition of trucks with engines below BS-4 standards.
  • Immediate issuance of challans by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to polluting units.
  • Requirement for government permission for any work causing dust formation, such as road repair and large-scale construction.
  • Hiring of at least 1,000 vacuum-based litter pickers by the MCD within 45 days.

Minister Sirsa also criticized previous Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments for their alleged inaction on pollution control, calling the odd-even traffic plan a “drama” that failed to reduce pollution. He accused the opposition of political motivations in their critique of the current government’s efforts.

The announcement follows a high-level meeting led by the Chief Minister yesterday to review a report by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) on microplastics and frothing in the Yamuna river.

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