Delhi Winter Action Plan: 5 things to know about Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign to check pollution that starts today

Delhi government is set to conduct an anti-dust campaign from October 7 to November 7 as part of its ‘Winter Action Plan’ to combat air pollution. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal introduced a 15-point Winter Action Plan on September 2. He stressed the need for support from neighbouring states in the National Capital Region (NCR) to address air pollution, reported PTI. 

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1. Kejriwal has called for a complete ban on firecrackers in the NCR region.
2. He urged neighbouring states to implement measures including curbing stubble burning, vehicles entering Delhi from nearby states must be converted to CNG vehicles, industries using polluting fuel must be shifted to clean fuel, brick kilns must use the zigzag technique which is less polluting, 24x7 power supply must be provided in NCR to reduce reliance on diesel generators during power outages.
3. As part of the anti-dust campaign, 591 teams from 13 different departments have been deployed for inspections across Delhi. 
4. All construction sites exceeding 500 square meters are required to register on the Construction and Demolition (C&D) portal. Orders have been issued to all departments for continuous inspection of C&D sites and to take action against violations of the 14 construction rules at these sites.
5. To combat dust pollution, the campaign will deploy 82 Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines, 530 water sprinklers, and 258 mobile anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites, reported ANI. 

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Measures undertaken by Municipal Corporation of Delhi 

The MCD has established a Dust Control and Management Cell (DCMC) to oversee efforts as a part of winter action plan to mitigate pollution. The DCMC includes superintending engineers and Directors from the horticulture department, and it will regularly meet to monitor and implement measures advised by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) or the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to control dust pollution.

To monitor and enforce anti-pollution measures, the MCD has formed 383 surveillance teams comprising 932 officers and staff to prevent open dumping of biomass and open burning of garbage. 

Also read: 13 ‘air pollution hotspots’ in Delhi: Here's what we know about CM Kejriwal's 'Winter Action Plan'

Monitoring will be intensified to curb the use of coal or firewood in hotels and open eateries. 

MCD has identified 13 pollution hotspots across Delhi namely Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangir Puri, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri and Dwarka.

Each hotspot has area's deputy commissioner designated as nodal officer who will be responsible for coordinating actions to address pollution sources. Special focus will be laid on identification and addressing road dust issue in hotspots areas.

Maintenance of unpaved or damaged roads and potholes will be undertaken to combat dust pollution, with special attention given to hotspots.

MCD will take action against violators, including those operating unauthorised ready-mix plants and keeping C&D sites open. It will crack down on illegal or unauthorised industries in non-conforming areas.

MCD plans to raise awareness about air pollution through mass media and dedicated campaigns.

Apps like Green Delhi App of the Delhi Government, Sameer App (Central Pollution Control Board), and the 311 Mobile App (MCD) are a part of complaint redressal mechanism.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)