Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said the city government was preparing a Winter Action Plan to curb winter pollution in the city on the basis of reports given by the departments.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would present this Winter Action Plan in front of the citizens of Delhi on September 29, he said.
“A joint meeting regarding the Winter Action Plan of all the 28 departments concerned was held on September 14 in the Delhi Secretariat and different responsibilities were assigned to the departments. Instructions have been issued to all construction agencies to strictly follow the norms related to dust pollution,” Rai said.
In the meeting, officers from Environment Department, DPCC, Development Department, Delhi Cantonment Board, CPWD, DDA, Delhi Police, DTC, Revenue Department, DSIIDC, Education Department, DMRC, PWD, Transport Department, NHAI, Delhi Jal Board, DUSIB and NDMC were present. All departments were instructed to submit detailed action plans under the Winter Action Plan to the Environment Department by September 25.
Rai said, “Keeping in mind the phenomenon of rising pollution in Delhi during winters, the Delhi government is preparing a ‘Winter Action Plan’. We conducted a high-level meeting of 28 government departments on September 14th in this respect. In that meeting, all the departments were given a unique goal, to be included in the Winter Action Plan.”
“All the government departments will act in unison in the implementation of the Winter Action Plan to curb the rise of pollution in ensuing winters,” the Delhi Environment Minister said.
Rai said last year, the Delhi government worked together with all the agencies involved in the construction business in the city to keep a noose on pollution.
“Today, I am appealing to them to follow the norms related to dust pollution. Action would be taken against all those agencies who violate the law. CM Arvind Kejriwal will announce the Winter Action Plan on September 29th after which we will start
implementing it on the ground,” he said.
The Delhi Environment Minister further added that separate action plans will be made for 13 hotspots to reduce pollution. This time special monitoring will be done on hotspots to reduce pollution.