Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said this year’s Summer Action Plan includes focus points like dust pollution, industrial pollution, noise pollution, water pollution and communication with neighbouring states.

Rai was chairing a meeting of all the departments concerned at the Delhi Secretariat regarding the Summer Action Plan on Wednesday.

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Officers from Environment Department, DPCC, Development Department, Delhi Cantonment Board, CPWD, DDA, Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Police, DTC, Revenue Department, DSIIDC, Education Department, DMRC, PWD, Transport Department, NHAI, Delhi Jal Board, DUSIB, NDMC etc were present in the meeting.

The Delhi Environment Minister said all the departments have been assigned different responsibilities on the 16 focus points, according to which the Summer Action Plan will be prepared.

All the departments have been directed to submit their detailed action plans and suggestions to the Environment Department within seven days i.e., by April 20. On the basis of which Summer Action Plan will be prepared.

Later in the day, Rai addressed a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat.

He said as a result of the Winter Action Plan implemented by the Kejriwal government during the winter season, there has been a steady decline registered in the presence of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in Delhi.

According to a Survey conducted in 2022-23, between 2016 and 2021, the number of days in Delhi’s AQI in good, satisfactory and moderate category increased from 109 to 160 and the number of days in poor and very poor category decreased from 217 to 196.

In addition, between 2016 and 2022, the number of days falling into the severe category declined as well; from 26 in 2016, it was only 6 in 2022. During the past eight years, the pollution level in Delhi has decreased by 30 per cent as a result of ongoing efforts.

As a result, following the success of the Summer Action Plan from the previous year, the Kejriwal government has begun making preparations to introduce a new Summer Action Plan to address the issue of pollution throughout the summer.

Rai said, “Immediate and long-term action plans for the control of Delhi’s pollution will be put into effect as part of this action plan. In this regard, a joint meeting of all the relevant departments was held today at the Delhi Secretariat.” The primary goal of this meeting is to create a joint action plan to combat pollution in Delhi. During the meeting, 16 main focus points were determined.

Specific tasks have been assigned to different departments to prepare an action plan based on the 16 focus points identified under the Summer Action Plan. On which all the departments will give their detailed report to the Environment Department within seven days i.e., by April 20. Based on this, a summer action plan will be prepared.

The Minister said, “Mainly 16 point focus points have been identified under the Summer Action Plan. On which the Government will work with priority in the coming days and on the basis of this the next summer action plan will be prepared.”

Following are the 16 focus points and their nodal agency:

1. Dust Pollution: PWD, MCD, DCB, NDMC, DDA, CPWD, IF&CD, DSIIDC, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Metro and Revenue Department have been appointed as nodal agencies for dust pollution.
2. Industrial Pollution: MCD, Revenue, DSIIDC and DPCC have been appointed as nodal agency for industrial pollution.
3. Noise Pollution: Delhi Police, MCD, Revenue Department, DSIIDC, DPCC have been appointed as nodal agency for noise pollution.
4. Water Pollution: Delhi Jal Board, DPCC, DDA, IF&CD have been appointed as nodal agency for water pollution.
5. Solid Waste Management: MCD has been appointed as the nodal agency for this.
6. Tree Plantation: The Forest Department has been appointed as the nodal agency to increase the green cover in Delhi.
7. Tree Transplantation Policy – The nodal agency for this is the Forest Department.
8. Real Time Apportionment Study- Work is being done in collaboration with IIT Kanpur for Real Time Apportionment Study. So that the reasons related to real time pollution can be known. DPCC has been appointed as the nodal agency.
9. Open Burning: MCD, NDMC, DCB, Development Department, I&FC, Delhi Fire Service, DDA and Revenue Department have been appointed as nodal agency for open burning.
10. Development of City Forest: The Forest Department has been appointed as the nodal agency for the development of City Forest.
11. Urban Farming: Department of Horticulture (Environment Department) has been made the nodal agency for urban farming.
12. Development of Jheel/Ponds – Wetland Authority (DPGS), Revenue Department, DDA, Forest Department, MCD has been appointed as its nodal agency.
13. Development of Park (Harit Park): Delhi Park and Garden Society, MCD, DDA have been appointed as the nodal agency for this.
14. E-Waste Eco Park – India’s first E-Waste Eco Park is being built on Zero Waste Policy. Its nodal agency has been appointed by Environment Department, DSIIDC and MCD.
15. Eco Club Activity: The environment department has been appointed as the nodal agency for eco club activity.
16. Dialogue with neighbouring states – It has been seen in Delhi that the factors of surrounding states also plays a major role in increasing pollution, that is why dialogue will be established with neighbouring states, so that a joint action plan can be formulated to control pollution.

The Summer Action Plan has 16 focus points, based on which the government will work to reduce Delhi’s pollution.