As air quality turns to "severe" in Delhi, the third phase of (graded response action plan) has kicked into high gear. This includes the prohibition of construction and demolition work. There are about 500 teams doing surveillance to prevent any unauthorised construction or demolition work in the national capital.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai conducted a series of surprise inspections on Tuesday under the anti-dust campaign. During the inspections, a fine of Rs 5 lakh was imposed on construction and engineering major L&T. "During the inspection, large-scale irregularities were found at the BJP’s under-construction office site by L&T. The construction work was going on despite the ban on construction works in Delhi....The Delhi government is actively working to prevent pollution in Delhi. The government has a special focus on 10 anti-pollution focal points,” said Rai.
Delhi's pollution is expected to increase from November 1, and the government is trying to reduce pollution by working on 10 focal points.
In response to a question, the environment minister said, “The Punjab government is making all efforts to stop stubble burning. For decomposing stubble with bio-decomposer, a proposal was sent to the Central government for financial support to the farmers.”
He said, “Since no state has the ability to change the direction of the wind, the pollution issue is not state-specific. The BJP government's philosophy has been to expand pollution rather than stop it. There would have been significantly fewer instances of stubble burning if the Central government had approved the Punjab government's proposal. Meanwhile, the BJP petitioned the Supreme Court to lift the prohibition on firecrackers. The LG has currently put an end to the 'Red light on, gaadi off' campaign.”
November 1 also marks the end of free yoga classes in Delhi. 'Dilli ki Yogshala' benefitted some 17,000 people. In a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal dug in his heels to continue offering yoga classes for the health and well-being of Delhi residents. “Will go to every doorstep with a begging bowl, but won’t let Yogshala stop,” Kejriwal announced in an emotional address.
Other measures taken by the Delhi government to stop pollution include:
Green war room: The nine-member green war room monitors all actions being taken by 20 government agencies in Delhi on a 24x7 basis. The performance is monitored in real-time and on a daily basis.
Green Delhi app: From October 1, 2022, there have been 2,009 complaints received on Green Delhi app, and 90 per cent of them have been resolved.
Anti-dust campaign: Regular inspection of construction sites is being done. 586 teams, comprising officials of different departments, are visiting these sites every day to ensure compliance. Till October 2,46,866 sites were inspected, and out of these violations were found at 276 sites. Notices and challans have been issued to 253 sites.
Bio-decomposer: On October 18, the government started free spraying of Pusa bio-decomposer in Delhi's fields, and 3,200 acres have already been completed.
Water sprinkler: 581 water sprinklers, 80 mechanised road sweeping machines, 233 anti-smog guns at construction sites, 150 vehicle-mounted anti-smog guns as well as nine high-rise buildings sprinkler facilities are operational.
Industry pollution: 233 teams are regularly monitoring 1,600 industries. Impure or unauthorised fuel has not been identified so far.
PUCC: More than 20 lakh PUC certificates were issued in August and September. More than 68,500 challans were made for violation of PUC certificates. 6,500 vehicles—diesel vehicles that are 10 years old and petrol vehicles that are 15 years old—have been seized, which are not authorised to operate in Delhi.
Hotspot special monitoring: There are 13 identified hotspots in Delhi which are more polluted than other areas. They are being monitored by DM, ADM and SDM for continuous use of water sprinklers, anti-smog guns and other measures.
Ban on firecrackers: On September 14, 2022, Delhi Government banned the use of firecrackers and started a public awareness campaign 'Diye Jalao, Patakhe Nahi'. The people of Delhi supported the ban and celebrated the cleanest Diwali in the last seven years.
GRAP stage 3: GRAP Stage 3 has been implemented in Delhi from October 13. All construction and demolition activities (except essential services) have been banned. Now, water sprinklers are being operated on a 24-hour basis.
