New Delhi [India], September 20 : Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a joint meeting with the Environment Department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Friday and said that a 'Winter Action Plan', based on 21 focus areas, is ready to tackle pollution during the winter months.
According to an official release, "Each department has submitted separate reports on the prescribed 21 focus areas, according to which the plan has been prepared."
Gopal Rai announced that the Winter Action Plan will be revealed on September 27, adding that for the first time, drone monitoring will be used to track pollution at 13 hotspots, and a special task force will be formed.
Key areas include vehicle and dust pollution, work-from-home measures, stubble and garbage burning, industrial pollution, upgrading the War Room and Green App, coordination with the central government and neighbouring states, and emergency preparations like the odd-even scheme and artificial rain.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai emphasised that the government has intensified its preparations to address pollution during the winter.
Under the Winter Action Plan, 21 key focus points have been identified, which the government will prioritise in the coming days.
The 21 focus points include monitoring hot spots through drones. Environment, DPCC MCD, Delhi Traffic Police, DDA, and DSIIDC have been appointed as nodal agencies to monitor hot spots.
The focus points include the formation of a special task force to prevent pollution, the environment department has been appointed as the nodal agency for this.
For the control of dust pollution, PWD, MCD, DCB, NDMC, DDA, CPWD, I&FC, DSIIDC, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Metro, NHAI, and Revenue Department have been appointed as nodal agencies for dust pollution.
PWD and the MCD have been appointed as nodal agencies for the operation of mobile anti-smog guns.
To control pollution caused by vehicles, the Delhi Traffic Police, Transport Department, DIMTS, DTC, and Delhi Metro have been appointed as nodal agencies.
The Development and Revenue Department has been made the nodal agency for the problem of pollution caused by the burning of stubble, among others.
Earlier this month, Gopal Rai claimed that Delhi has benefitted from the long-term action made by the government, leading to a 45 percent reduction in pollution.
He said that the long-term action plan of providing 24/7 electricity, bringing 2000 electric buses, and planting more trees has resulted in reduced pollution.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said, "All the figures of pollution levels in Delhi from January to December are out. We are benefiting from the long-term action plan made by the government. 2,000 electric buses have been brought to reduce vehicular pollution in Delhi. Diesel pollution has been reduced by guaranteeing 24/7 electricity in Delhi," said the minister.
He further claimed that the green belt cover of Delhi has increased, and polluting industries were identified to shift them to CNG instead.
"All the industries that were polluting, we have shifted 100 percent of them to CNG. The forest green belt in Delhi has been increased from 20 percent to 23.6 percent. Lakhs of trees have been planted in Delhi. The polluting thermal power plant in Delhi has been shut down. The result of this is that since our government has come to power, the pollution has been decreasing," he added.