Winter action plans targeting pollution hotspots ready, says Delhi minister

(File Photo: Twitter/@AapKaGopalRai)


Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said specific winter action plans are being readied based on the data from 13 air pollution hotspots in the city ahead of the winters.

He said the AAP government is working on a war footing with different campaigns already underway to keep a check on pollution during the winters when the air quality of the city witnesses a drop.

He said the move is according to the announcement made earlier by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to have different winter action plans to curb air pollution and control the air quality index (AQI) in the hotspots.

MCD deputy commissioners and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) engineers have been deputed to coordinate in the hotspots, he said.

Rai noted that number of days with better air quality reached 200 this year, whereas in 2016, the number was 109 and last year, the good air quality days in the national capital were 163.

Delhi’s average air quality on Wednesday was 193, falling under the moderate category at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data based on 35 out of 40 monitoring stations.

The environment minister had on Tuesday directed the DPCC to send a notice to National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) for violations with regard to the action plan implemented to control air pollution.

Rai had inspected an NBCC construction site in Karkardooma where anti-smog guns were not functional and construction waste was being dumped in the open in contravention of the anti-dust campaign run by the government.