EPCA to start anti-pollution drive next week in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court authorized body Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) will initiate its anti-pollution drive from next week, to curb the city pollution. It has found out four-five places where the officials of EPCA would go and check the immediate air quality, following this they will take the required steps.

The EPCA has already started the work form this week and visited the Anand Vihar area as it was reporting the continuous bad condition of air. Anand Vihar was among the five places that have emerged as pollution hotspots in the National Capital Region, where the Air Quality Index hovers in the 'very poor' zone. The others areas that have come under scanner are Ghaziabad, Noida Sector 125, Faridabad and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.

In Delhi, the EPCA has identified spots like Mandir Marg, ITO among other places where they have found that a need of emergency pollution control is there. The higher officials of the agency would visit these places and investigate the reasons of pollution. According to the sources, the main causes of pollution at these places are vehicular pollution. Based on the findings the officials will meet the Delhi environment department officials at the members of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). The EPCA would form a guideline and present to these agencies and ask them to follow it strictly.

Meanwhile, the EPCA has directed the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation to work on the pollution management. The DMRC has also started their work from Thursday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality of Delhi is likely to deteriorate from the next week. The aim of the EPCA is to deal the situation in urgency. The EPCA officials have said that working on selective areas would be more effective than working as a whole. However, the Graded Response Action Plan for the city is working as directed by the EPCA.