Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai unveils 21-point winter action plan to combat air pollution | Delhi News

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai has unveiled a 21-action point winter action plan to combat pollution. NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday released a 21-action point winter action plan to deal with pollution. The plan was released on the day when Delhi’s air quality slipped into the ‘poor’ category with an Air Quality Index of 236 at 1 pm.
The winter action plan will focus on 21 areas: monitoring of hot spots through drones, formation of a special task force to stop pollution, control of dust pollution, operation of mobile anti-smog guns, control of pollution caused by vehicles, stubble burning, green war room and green Delhi app, industrial pollution, increasing green cover/tree plantation, real-time source apportionment study, e-waste eco park, ban on firecrackers, public participation, dialogue with central govt and neighbouring states, Harit Ratna Award, implementation of GRAP, open garbage burning, work from home (for private organisations) and staggering office timings, voluntary vehicle restriction, preparation of odd-even and artificial rain.This year’s winter action plan’s theme is ‘Milkar Chalein aur Pradushan se Ladein’.
Delhi has 13 pollution hotspots which were identified in 2019. “Last year, we had manually identified sources of pollution at hotspots. We will use drones this year to identify real-time sources of pollution,” said Rai, adding that a six-member special task force has been constituted to monitor air quality and take action.
The environment minister said an anti-dust campaign will start from Oct 7 and 85 road sweeping machines and 500 water sprinklers are being deployed in Delhi.
Besides, 200 mobile anti-smog guns will be deployed on roads in every assembly constituency with the frequency of water sprinklers and mobile anti-smog guns to be increased by three times in Nov and Dec.
As part of the winter action plan, the govt has decided to award the Harit Ratna award to individuals or agencies, private or govt sector, which perform best in controlling air pollution.
The last time Delhi recorded a ‘poor’ day was on June 12 when the AQI stood at 211. After the arrival of the monsoon on June 28, the Capital has been witnessing regular rain activity with the air quality hovering in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’ category. Rain helps in washing out the pollutants.



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