'Green Budget', armed with 26 schemes, to tackle pollution

NEW DELHI: Under the 'Green Budget' tabled in the Assembly on Thursday, the Delhi government threaded together 26 programmes and schemes for the Transport, Power, Environment and Public Works departments to devise a unified system of pollution control, bringing down levels of different pollutants.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that a real-time source apportionment study, in partnership with the University of Washington, will be carried out.

The first ever comprehensive city-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions will also be carried out, he added.

"The government will offer an incentive to industries in approved industrial areas of up to Rs 1 lakh to switch over to piped natural gas (PNG) from existing polluting fuels," Sisodia said.

The government has proposed that subsidy of up to Rs 5,000 per tandoor will be offered to restaurants to replace coal tandoors with electricity or gas-based tandoors.

Subsidy of up to Rs 30,000 will be given to firms and establishments to switch over from diesel generator sets of 10 KVA or more capacity to clean fuel-based electricity generator sets.

"The government will provide a dedicated information system showing current levels of pollution by installing 1,000 indoor display panels inside all government buildings. Rolling out 1,000 fully-electric buses is proposed in Delhi during 2018-19.

"This will be the highest fleet of electric buses in any city or state in India, and in fact, by any city in the world outside of China," said Sisodia.

In a bid to make the transport system environment-friendly, the Transport department will support induction of 905 electric feeder vehicles by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Moreover, a one-time subsidy of Rs 30,000 will be given to all e-Rickshaw owners registered during the period from July 2015 to April 2016.

"An additional amount of Rs 15,000 will be given to those e-Rickshaw owners who were paid subsidy at the old rate of Rs 15,000 till date. This subsidy will be given from Air Ambience Fund," Sisodia told the Assembly.

The government decided to give 50 per cent concession in registration charges for CNG factory fitted private.

"Weigh bridges at three impounding pits in Burari, Sarai Kale Khan and Dwarka will be installed. Sixty new vehicles, body-worn cameras and e-Challaning tabs will also be purchased," he added.

Sisodia further said that a new scheme 'Landscaping of PWD roads' will be launched for beautification of all PWD roads.

"The government is committed to purchase 1,000 MW of green power, i.e. from solar and wind-based generation, in 2018-19. The government will pilot an innovative scheme named Agriculture-cum-Solar Farm scheme," said Sisodia.