The Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena on Friday reviewed preparedness to deal with air pollution during the coming winter season in the national capital.

In a meeting with the Chairman, CAQM, Chief Secretary, Commissioner (MCD), ACS (I&FC), Principal Secretary (Environment), Special Commissioner (Traffic), and other senior officers of the various departments concerned, he underlined the long and short-term issues and asked to address them.

At the outset, taking up the long-term issues, Saxena underlined that despite the heavy monsoon this year, providing unprecedented relief in terms of AQI, the hazardous impact caused by vehicular emission and dust remain largely unaddressed.

He noted that vehicular emissions and road dust remain the largest contributor to air pollution in the city in terms of increasing PM10 and PM2.5 levels.

The LG, in this context, referred to a study by IIT-Kanpur which had shown that the percentage of dust as a contributor to air pollution had gone down from 26 to 20 per cent between 2018 and 2022, and that of pollution from vehicular emission had gone up from 39 to 47 per cent.

He observed that the same would have increased multifold, especially in light of the condition of roads in the city and lack of coverage/carpeting of footpaths and flanks of the roads.

The LG asked the authorities to undertake an evidence-based empirical study of the same and directed that concerted efforts be undertaken to repair the roads and ensure end-to-end ecologically suitable carpeting of all RoWs.

He directed the PWD and MCD to look into this issue totally and initiate remedial measures at the earliest.

He noted that similarly, the situation in industrial areas of the city was pathetic, with roads in disrepair, uncovered patches of earth and municipal garbage being dumped there. This added to the pollution caused by dust and pollution caused by open garbage burning.

The DSIIDC was advised to develop a comprehensive scheme for the repair of roads, coverage of footpaths, and disposal of garbage in the industrial areas.

While appreciating the addition of non-polluting electric buses in the city’s bus fleet, the LG pointed towards the pollution due to vehicular emission caused by mostly empty DTC buses plying on roads without passengers. He asked the transport department to rationalize bus routes and frequencies.

Taking up the short-term immediate measures, he directed that preparations be started at the earliest, without waiting for AQI levels to drop.

In this regard, he also directed that anti-smog guns that rotate on 180-degree fulcrum be placed on all high rises in the city above seven storeyed.

As far as construction activities were concerned, Saxena instructed that the authorities start the exercise of ensuring that construction material remains covered and construction activities that do not cause pollution be exempted from GRAP restrictions.

Among others, Saxena asked DPCC along with other enforcement agencies to start the exercise of ensuring that open fires of any sort do not exist in the city.