Stick to EPCA plan at pollution hotspots: DPCC

NEW DELHI: Delhi Pollution Control Committee has asked all landowning agencies and civic bodies to take stringent enforcement action and implement the hotspot plan “as cleared by Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority” in the 14 pollution hotspots of the capital, even though the grim winter pollution period is over.
In a letter addressed by DPCC member secretary Arun Mishra, a copy of which is with TOI, the agencies have been asked to ensure that there are no instances of waste and garbage burning and full compliance of the approved fuel notification, especially in the 14 highly polluted areas of the city, is done.
The 14 highly polluted areas in Delhi include Okhla Phase II, Dwarka, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, Anand Vihar (including Mandoli), RK Puram, Jahangirpuri and Mayapuri.
The communique has been sent to the nodal officers, civic body deputy commissioners, Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi Municipal Council, the three municipal corporation, PWD, irrigation and flood control department, CPWD, DSIIDC, DMRC, Delhi Cantonment Board and National Highways Authority of India, among others.
“In case of non-compliance, action as per the provisions contained in Section 37 of the Air Act, 1981, shall be initiated against defaulters,” the letter stated.
Earlier in February, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had shared data on how air pollution at 13 major hotspots in the capital had come down “significantly” in 2019 as compared with the last year. Rai also released a five-point action plan to bring air pollution down by one-third over the next five years.
The action plan included induction of real-time data to identify sources, an experts’ roundtable, a citywide awareness drive and planting over two crore trees in the next five years.