Written & Edited By : Aditi Mishra
29 September 2023 ( New Delhi ) : Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, announced the winter action plan to reduce pollution on Friday and credited government actions for the decrease in pollution levels in the nation’s capital. He stated during a news conference that a number of government measures, including the introduction of electric buses and the EV Policy, among others, had resulted in a reduction in the number of days with high levels of pollution over the past eight years.
Kejriwal said the Pusa biodecomposer, which inhibits stubble burning, will be sprayed on 5,000 hectares of agriculture this year as opposed to 4,400 hectares last year when announcing the winter action plan.
Paddy straw can be converted into manure using the Pusa biodecomposer, a microbial solution created by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in this location, in about 15 to 20 days.
To stop dust pollution, the government will use 530 water sprinklers, and 385 teams will verify the pollution certificates of vehicles to stop overage car traffic.
Diesel and gasoline vehicles older than 10 and 15 years, respectively, were outlawed in Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2018. It had also stated that any vehicles operating against the directive will be seized.
Vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to be parked in public areas, according to a National Green Tribunal ruling from 2014. Kejriwal declared that it is unlawful to burn trash outdoors in Delhi, and 611 teams will keep an eye on its enforcement.
Additionally, he advised citizens to download the Green Delhi smartphone application and notify the authorities of any pollution-causing activities. “We have identified 13 hotspots where air pollution is high and a special action plan has been made for each of the hotspots and 13 special teams too have been formed. There will be special focus too in these areas,” CM Kejriwal said.
Mr. Kejriwal asserted that Delhi’s air pollution has decreased by 30% since 2014. “Compared to 2014, PM2.5 (one of the main pollutants) is down to 103. “There has been an approximate 30% reduction in air pollution since 2014, when PM10 (one of the major pollutants) was 324 and is now 223,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that as air pollution is a regional issue, the Central government should convene a gathering of the north Indian States.
