CM Kejriwal announces Delhi winter action plan to check pollution

Pollution levels fell in the Indian capital due to government initiatives, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday (September 29), as he unveiled a winter action plan to further check pollution.

The number of days that saw severe pollution declined in the last eight years due to several initiatives of the government, Kejriwal told the media.

These included the introduction of electric buses and the EV Policy among others, he said.

Announcing the winter action plan, Kejriwal said the Pusa biodecomposer which prevents stubble burning will be sprayed on 5,000 hectares of farmland this year against 4,400 hectares last year.

The biodecomposer, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi, is a microbial solution that can turn paddy straw into manure in 15-20 days.

The government will deploy 530 water sprinklers to prevent dust pollution. A total of 385 teams will check vehicles' pollution certificates and prevent the plying of overage cars.

Polluting vehicles

In 2018, the Supreme Court banned diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years respectively in Delhi. It said the vehicles plying in violation of the order would be impounded.

A 2014 order from the National Green Tribunal bars vehicles older than 15 years to be parked in public places.

Kejriwal said burning garbage in the open was banned in Delhi and 611 teams will monitor its implementation.

He also urged people to download the Green Delhi mobile application and report any pollution-causing activity to the government.

(With agency inputs)