Government serious on air pollution in NCR, approval for purchase of more than 800 new electric buses. file photo
State Bureau, Chandigarh. The government has become serious on air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR). In view of the displeasure of the Air Quality Management Commission and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in this matter, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi called a high-level meeting late on Monday evening to review the action plan.
It reviewed various initiatives ranging from stubble management in fields to clean energy, electric mobility, dust control in cities, waste management and industrial compliance.
Along with assessing the Action Taken Report, state and city level action plans were also finalized in the meeting. During this, specific strategies for Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak and Manesar Municipal Corporations were discussed in detail.
To prevent incidents of stubble burning, more than one lakh crop residue management machines worth Rs 932 crore have been made available to farmers on subsidy since 2018-19. The straw is being used in pelletization units, thermal power plants, brick kilns and industries. Compressed bio gas plants established in Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Fatehabad and Panipat are using large quantities of stubble.
It was informed in the meeting that thermal power plants located within a radius of 300 kilometers from Delhi have achieved more than six percent biomass co-firing. These include at least 50 percent paddy straw. Plants at Khedar, Panipat, Yamunanagar and Jhajjar have recorded significant growth in biomass consumption. Brick kilns in non-NCR districts have also started mandatory 20 per cent biomass co-firing.
To prevent air pollution, purchase of more than 800 new electric buses has been approved. Old BS-III and BS-IV diesel buses have been shifted out of NCR districts. Mechanical road sweepers, water sprinklers and anti-smog guns have been deployed at hot spots to deal with dust.
Action plans for paving major roads and increasing green cover have been sent to the Air Quality Management Commission. By December, work is being done to dispose of more than 14 lakh tonnes of old solid waste from the municipalities. In Gurugram this target has been set till the year 2028. New waste-to-fuel plants proposed for Gurugram and Faridabad will bridge the shortfall in processing capacity.
Now Pollution Control Board will issue pollution certificate
Forest and Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh said that the guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court regarding environmental pollution control will be strictly followed. The World Bank has also proposed assistance of about Rs 3000 crore to Haryana by the year 2030. In the first phase, an assistance of Rs 1000 crore will be provided next year.
He said that the problem of smoke in NCR during November-December is not only due to stubble or seasonal reasons, but smoke coming from vehicles, building construction work and emissions from factories are also its main reasons.
To ensure strictness on pollution caused by vehicles, Environment Department officials will now regularly inspect the pollution testing equipment installed at petrol pumps. The responsibility of controlling the companies issuing pollution certificates will be handed over to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board in place of the Transport Department.