Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday launched the Green War Room at the Delhi Secretariat for the better implementation of the state government’s anti-pollution Winter Action Plan (WAP) ahead of the cold season.

He claimed that due to the steps taken by the Delhi government, there has been a huge reduction in pollution.

The Delhi environment minister further said that a “Harit Kalash Yatra” would be taken out in the city’s iconic Connaught Place area on Tuesday, which will be part of the public awareness campaign regarding the environment.

Addressing media persons here, Rai said with the onset of winter, the environment in Delhi starts becoming unfavorable with the wind speed gradually decreasing and the temperature falling. Under such unfavourable conditions, the level of pollution in Delhi starts going up. Owing to these three factors, the gases that otherwise are dissolved reach the ground. Due to this, the level of air pollution starts increasing.

Rai has said under such environmental conditions, efforts would be made to keep the sources of pollution that cause PM 10 and PM 2.5 under check.

The minister said, “To implement the action plan, a 24×7 Green War Room is being started from today with seven jobs have been allotted to it.”

He highlighted that the ‘War Room’ this year would enable analysis of pollution data with drone mapping, and secondly, the data of the ‘Real Time Source Apportionment Study,’ will also be assessed in the facility.

Analysis of the satellite data on the smoke produced from stubble burning at various places will also be done on a daily basis at the war room, he added.

The minister further said that the entire city would be connected with the Green War Room through the Green Delhi app, through which entire Delhi becomes a participant in the fight against pollution.

The war room will also monitor the air quality at the city’s 13 pollution hotspots.

Rai informed that so far the experiment with the Green Delhi app has been quite successful with 88 per cent of the complaints received having been resolved through the war room.

“We are confident that this time too, the way the government is taking forward the campaign against pollution along with the people the Green War Room will play an important role in combating pollution,” he added.