New Delhi [India], November 5 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi on Tuesday initiated an anti-open burning campaign as part of its Winter Action Plan that would run until December 6.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced this effort during a review meeting with officials from various departments at the Delhi Secretariat.
According to an official statement, this campaign is to address the rising pollution levels in Delhi and surrounding areas, especially after Diwali.
Minister Gopal Rai revealed that 588 patrolling teams from different departments will be deployed to monitor and prevent incidents of open burning throughout the city.
He said, "These teams will be deployed in the field to control incidents of open burning."
The initiative also involves regulating construction sites and providing heaters for night workers to minimize reliance on open fires.
Rai highlighted the seriousness of the situation, noting that, "AQI levels in Delhi and neighbouring North Indian states have been consistently high, fluctuating between 300 and 400." Meteorological experts predict that the next ten days will bring adverse weather conditions, with lower temperatures and reduced wind speeds, which could worsen pollution.
To enhance the effectiveness of the campaign, Rai mentioned that all departments have been placed on high alert.
"We've met with officials from 33 departments in Delhi to review current actions and strategize on implementing the Winter Action Plan and GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) rules more effectively in the coming days," he added.
He also added that personnel who were on leave for recent festivals have been instructed to resume anti-pollution campaigns immediately.
The campaign will be spearheaded by various agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Revenue Department, and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Rai then underlined the importance of ensuring that night-shift workers, especially at construction sites, have access to electric heaters.
He said, "This year, I have mandated that all government departments ensure heaters are available for night-shift employees at both offices and construction sites."
In addition to addressing open burning, the Delhi government has also been inspecting construction sites for dust pollution. So far, 7,927 sites have been inspected, resulting in fines totalling Rs 63 lakh imposed on those in violation of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste management rules. The Minister noted, "428 identified as being in major violation."
The campaign also includes the deployment of anti-smog guns. Rai reported that "146 anti-smog guns have been installed on high-rise buildings, along with 200 mobile anti-smog guns deployed across various assembly constituencies and hotspots."