Explained: Delhi govt's action plan to curb winter pollution woes

It’s getting to that time of the year again for residents of Delhi-NCR, where one pulls out Diwali clothes along with air pollution masks. With an estimated 54,000 deaths and $8.1 billion loss in Delhi in 2020, Delhi’s pollution woes are not unknown to anyone.

Cognizant of an impending spike in AQI, the Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Friday released its Winter action plan to curb hazardous air, to the greatest degree possible.

Here is what the Delhi government plan includes:
1) Spraying the PUSA bio-decomposer on 5,000 acres of farmland in Delhi to prevent stubble burning
2) An anti-dust campaign to be launched from October 6th to monitor dust from construction sites
3) Checking of pollution under control certificates will be intensified to deal with vehicular emissions
4) A total of 611 teams have been formed to prevent the open burning of waste.
5) Teams have been formed to ensure that industrial units are running on PNG.
6) A total of 210 teams have been formed to enforce the ban on the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers.
7) A real-time source apportionment study is being done with IIT Kanpur, which will help identify and locate the exact contribution of various polluting sources within the city on a real-time basis
8) A volunteer programme will continue wherein people can become ‘paryavaran mitras’ to spread awareness.
9) An e-waste park to process e-waste is being developed on 20 acres at Holambi Kalan.
10) Trees are being planted to increase green cover
11) A 24×7 ‘green war room’ with nine scientific experts will start functioning from October 3.
12) The Green Delhi App for people to report instances of pollution, launched 2 years ago
13) The revised Graded Response Action Plan will be enforced strictly.
14) Strict monitoring of 13 pollution hot spots in Delhi
CM Kejriwal also appealed to neighboring states in the NCR to take measures to curb air pollution, remarking that the air is the same everywhere.

While plans are being made in full force to curb pollution in Delhi, stubble burning in Punjab may continue to be a problem for residents of the National Capital. According to a report in PTI, with a prolonged spell of rain delaying paddy harvesting in some regions of Punjab, farmers are more likely to burn stubble to make up for the lost time and quickly prepare their fields for the next crop, experts say.