Delhi saw a significant dip in air pollution levels in the 2022-23 winter season owing to strict implementation of the 15-point action plan and a proactive Graded Response Action Plan, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, Rai also said the AAP government in Punjab would scale up the use of bio-decomposer, a microbial solution which can turn paddy straw into manure in around three weeks, in the agrarian state. He said the Delhi government has created an inventory of dispersed air pollution sources at Anand Vihar, one of the 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi. The project will be scaled up to cover all the pollution hotspots this year.
“I want to congratulate the people of Delhi. Their efforts have led to positive results this winter season,” the minister said.
Compared to 109 good, satisfactory and moderate air quality days in 2016, the capital logged 160 such days in 2022.
The number of poor and very poor air quality days have come down from 217 to 196 during this period. The number of severe air quality days has reduced from 26 in 2016 to six in 2022. The winter action plan announced in September last year focussed on areas such as stubble and garbage burning, vehicle and dust pollution, hotspots, industrial pollution, upgradation of Green War Room and Green App and dialogue with the central government & neighbouring states, among others.
“The 15-point action plan has played an important role in Delhi’s pollution. Severe air quality days have reduced by 77 per cent. The government’s efforts, including the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles older than 15 years and 10 years, promotion of e-vehicles, suspension of construction work when air quality deteriorated, expansion of green area, ban on firecrackers and stubble burning, creation of a green war room, and the use of PNG (clean fuel) in industrial units, have improved the air quality,” he said. He said a fine of Rs 4 crore has been imposed on project proponents for violation of dust control norms at their construction and demolition sites starting October last year.