Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting remained very crucial in wake of the air pollution turning Delhi NCR into a gas chamber before the winters. The meeting which was chaired by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena was also attended by Chief Minister Atishi, Chief Secretary Dharmendra and other top officers. Many aspects were discussed in order to curb the pollution menace. One of the most important
One of the main concerns that came up during the meeting was the continuous entry of vehicles from outside Delhi, often Delhi is used as a transit route inspite of alternative routes – Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway.
The other very serious aspect that came was Delhi lacks the manpower to check and enforce rules against the garbage burning and compliance with Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. The situation becomes even grave as people ignore the directives of Green Tribunal and engage in burning of leaves, tyres, and other material to get heat during the winters but in the bargain they only add to the pollution and make the weather toxic to breathe.
Dust removal and mitigation on a mission mode will be the focus area of the multiple agencies engaged with the implementation of anti-pollution measures in the city grappling with deteriorating air quality, decided in a DDMA meeting.
“There was discussion on changing the timings of both central and state government offices in Delhi to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads at the same time,” said Delhi state Environment Minister Gopal Rai.
During the meeting Delhi government requested the LG to ask the central government if it was possible to conduct artificial rain in Delhi on a pilot basis, so that action can be taken in emergency situations. The LG agreed and said he would convey the same to Center.
The state Environment Minister informed that special drive will be launched to stop diesel buses, from the neighbouring states, from entering the city. If anybody violated then action would be taken.
The LG pointed out that after his direction for collecting dust-generating construction and demolition waste, dried-up silt and cleaning road dust in a mission mode, the MCD and DDA disposed of 15,000 metric tons (MT) and 8000 MT of dust respectively, during the last fortnight itself.
The DDMA meeting also decided to deploy terminated civil defence volunteers for four months to implement various steps to tackle air pollution, officials at Raj Niwas said.
Apart from all these it was decided that roads would be cleaned by MRS trucks with simultaneous washing as well as installing rotating smog guns over high-rise buildings had also been started. About 300 MRS trucks, operating with rotating smog guns have been installed over 160 high-rise buildings in the city.
