*AAP Govt resolves to curb pollution at hotspots; Environment Minister Gopal Rai forms 13 coordination committee
*Deputy Commissioners of MCD has been made in charge of creating action plans for all 13 hotspot locations in Delhi: Gopal Rai
*Engineers from the DPCC have been assigned to each hotspot: Gopal Rai
*To reduce dust pollution, 80 mobile anti-smog guns have been deployed in hotspot areas: Gopal Rai
*Primary sources of pollution in Anand Vihar are BS 3 and BS 4 diesel buses from Uttar Pradesh and ongoing NCRTC construction work: Gopal Rai
*Environment Minister Gopal Rai chairs emergency meeting with all departments over air pollution in hotspot areas
NEW DELHI: 18TH OCTOBER 2024-The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi continues to intensify its efforts to combat rising pollution levels as winter approaches. Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a series of measures to address air quality concerns, particularly at 13 identified pollution hotspots across the city.
On Friday, the minister met with relevant departments at the Delhi Secretariat to discuss controlling air pollution in hotspot areas. He gathered detailed information from officials and instructed strict adherence to guidelines. The government will lay focus on the action plans for the 13 hotspots. To reduce dust pollution, 80 mobile anti-smog guns have been deployed, and MCD Deputy Commissioners have been directed to conduct regular visits and take necessary measures.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that with the onset of winter, pollution levels across North India were on the rise. He mentioned that Delhi's overall pollution levels had reached the 'poor' category, and despite this classification, there were 13 locations in the city where the AQI had gradually crossed 300.
These areas included Wazirpur, Mundka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Dwarka (Sector 8), Bawana, Narela, Vivek Vihar, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Ashok Vihar, and RK Puram. Gopal Rai further noted that the AQI in Wazirpur had reached 381, followed by 375 in Mundka, 362 in Rohini, 353 in Jahangirpuri, and 347 in Anand Vihar. He added that for the past 4-5 days, Anand Vihar had consistently topped the list of most polluted locations.
Gopal Rai mentioned that the previous day, officials were instructed to identify the local sources of pollution in Anand Vihar, which were causing the area's pollution levels to rise significantly above Delhi's normal AQI. He added, “Alongside this, we also directed officials to identify the local sources of pollution in all 13 hotspots across Delhi, and to submit a report in today's meeting so that we can create a special action plan for these hotspots.”
Delhi’s Environment Minister added that the Deputy Commissioners of the MCD had been appointed to oversee and execute the action plans at each of the identified hotspots. Furthermore, coordination committees had been established for each hotspot to manage tasks related to the Justice Department in those areas. These committees will be headed by the MCD's Deputy Commissioners, who will supervise the entire operation at the respective hotspots. He also noted that separate action plans for the 13 hotspots had been presented during today's meeting.
Gopal Rai highlighted, "To manage the entire coordination committee, one engineer from the DPCC has been deputed at each of the 13 locations along with the DCs. These engineers will work together with the MCD's General Commissioner to assist the coordination committee. These DPCC engineers will submit daily reports to the war room about the actions being taken at the sites.”
He continued, “Specifically, in the joint action plan presented by various departments today, the main sources of pollution identified in Anand Vihar are the elevated road in front of the bus station, where diesel vehicles, especially BS3 and BS4 from Uttar Pradesh, are coming in large numbers. Right across the road from Anand Vihar, a large number of similar vehicles are gathering, contributing to the rise in AQI. There is also a traffic jam on Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg and dust accumulation on the roadside. Near the railway station, crowding is causing an increase in pollution levels.”
To tackle the pollution issues in Anand Vihar, a coordination committee has been established under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), comprising representatives from DSIDC, Transport, NCRTC, PWD, MCD, NBCC, Railways, and the Traffic Police. Similarly, a coordination committee has been set up for the Mundka hotspot, which includes NHAI, MCD, the Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Traffic Police, DSIDC, and DMRC to address the pollution sources and manage the situation effectively.
Gopal Raid stated, “The main issue in Mundka is the operation of an RMC plant, and the Delhi-Rohtak highway is in poor condition with unpaved roads and potholes. The Mundka industrial area and the metro station intersection are heavily congested, and a coordination team has been set up to tackle these issues.”
Talking about Jahangirpuri and Rohini, Gopal Rai said, “The primary concerns are biomass burning and ongoing construction, so a coordination team comprising MCD, DSIDC, Delhi Police, Public Works Department, DTC, and DMRC has been set up. In Rohini, there is a construction site near Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, and there is illegal dumping on I&FC land, for which a coordination committee involving I&FC, MCD, and other services has been established.”
“In Narela, ongoing construction at the DTC bus depot and illegal dumping in the industrial area are the main issues. A coordination team comprising NHAI, MCD, DSIDC, Delhi Traffic Police, DDA, and Tata Power has been formed,” he added.
Gopal Rai stated that for the Okhla hotspot, where the road conditions in the industrial estate are poor and traffic congestion is a significant concern, a coordination team has been formed consisting of PWD, MCD, and the Delhi Traffic Police. He further mentioned that in Punjabi Bagh, the primary issues are traffic jams occurring under the Moti Nagar flyover and potholes on Road No. 41. To address these challenges, a coordination team involving PWD, MCD, and Delhi Traffic Police has also been established.
Gopal Rai further stated, “In RK Puram, where MCD and NBCC are working, a coordination committee has been set up with Delhi Traffic Police. In Vivek Vihar, ongoing construction activities and broken roads are contributing to dust and heavy traffic jams near Railway Road. A coordination team involving PWD, MCD, DSIDC, and Delhi Traffic Police has been formed.”
“In Wazirpur, DSIDC's various ongoing projects have been identified as a major issue, and a coordination team involving PWD, MCD, and DSIDC has been established. The 13th hotspot is Bawana, where illegal waste dumping outside Maharishi Valmiki Hospital and traffic congestion outside the hospital are the key issues. A coordination team comprising MCD, PWD, and Traffic Police has been formed to tackle these problems,” he continued.
Gopal Rai pointed out that alongside the formation of various teams, the PWD has made the decision to specially deploy mobile anti-smog guns at these hotspots. He said, “80 mobile anti-smog guns will be deployed at different hotspots, where water sprinkling will be done, particularly to tackle dust. In many places, it has been observed that the increase in pollution is due to higher levels of PM3, which primarily consists of dust particles.”
He continued, “For this, 10 mobile anti-smog guns will be deployed in Wazirpur, 8 in Mundka, 7 in Rohini, 4 in Jahangirpuri, 10 in Anand Vihar, 4 in Dwarka Sector 8, 5 in Bawana, 5 in Narela, 5 in Vivek Vihar, 5 in Okhla, 4 in Punjabi Bagh, 4 in Ashok Vihar, and 6 in RK Puram.”
He stated that in addition to deploying mobile anti-smog guns, the MCD will also utilize its water sprinklers and MRS machines specifically at these hotspots. He mentioned that all Deputy Commissioners of the 13 hotspots were instructed to conduct ground visits tomorrow in collaboration with the coordination committees formed with all relevant departments. They are expected to take further action to control the identified sources of pollution during these visits.
Gopal Rai concluded by stating, “Today's meeting concentrated on strategies to effectively manage and control the rising pollution levels at these hotspots. From tomorrow, all DCs will be on the field, and the joint coordination committees of all departments will work together. Our aim is to minimize the impact of pollution even in adverse weather conditions, and operations at the hotspots will start from today.”