New Delhi
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to submit a renewed action plan outlining specific targets, timelines, and fund allocations for each sector to combat the escalating air pollution in Delhi during the winter season. Last week, the NGT emphasized the need for a comprehensive action plan covering the entire National Capital Region (NCR), recognizing that the air quality in Delhi is influenced by factors extending beyond the city’s borders.
While reviewing the report submitted by the CAQM, the NGT expressed that though general observations were made, a lack of specificity was evident in several areas, particularly in terms of quantified targets for all districts. The CAQM clarified that the air shed would encompass cities like Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Baghpat, along with other NCR districts, addressing concerns related to stubble burning in Punjab and non-NCR districts of Haryana. The CAQM’s report identified various contributors to air pollution, including industrial pollution, diesel generator sets, thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi, vehicular emissions, agricultural stubble burning, waste burning, biomass burning, landfill fires, dust management from construction activities, and other anthropogenic sources.Granting a three-week period for the submission of the updated report, the NGT scheduled the matter for January 3 next year. The directive underscores the pressing need for a comprehensive and targeted approach to tackle air pollution in the region.
