Delhi News: The government has become strict on the problem of air pollution in Delhi. The government has directed to implement the first phase of GRAP. On Tuesday, CM Atishi held a high-level meeting with officials. She said that Delhi's air has been in the good category from January to October 12, i.e. for 200 days, but for the last two days it has been in the bad category. Therefore, the first phase of GRAP has been implemented from Monday evening.

99 teams will inspect construction sites to prevent dust pollution. PWD, MCD, NCRTC and DMRC will install anti-smog guns at construction sites. All departments including PWD, MCD will complete the road repair work on a war footing. The CM has appealed to the people of Delhi to avoid car pooling, firecrackers, burning garbage and reporting pollution on the Green Delhi app. He claimed that due to the efforts of the Delhi government, better air quality has been achieved for 200 days.

Delhi's air got polluted in two days

Let us tell you that on October 13, the Air Quality Index reached the level of 224 and on October 14 it was at 234. For the last 2 days, the air quality has reached the poor category. CM Atishi said that an important part of the implementation of GRAP-1 is the prevention of dust on construction sites. In this regard, 33 teams of DPCC, 33 teams of Revenue Department and 33 teams of Industry Department have also been formed. All 99 teams will conduct on-site inspection of private and government construction sites daily and take stock of the compliance of the rules issued for the prevention of dust pollution.

Government initiatives to prevent

Apart from this, the report of daily inspections will be sent to the Green War Room, Environment Minister and Chief Minister's Office. The CM said that special instructions have been given to the MCD regarding the disposal of Construction and Demolition Waste (CND Waste). CND waste also deteriorates the air quality. 79 teams will work during the day and 75 teams at night to remove CND waste. Also, to prevent open biomass waste burning, 116 teams will be deployed by the MCD during the day and 116 teams at night.

He said that the main reason for dust is broken roads. For this, repair work of 1400 km of roads is going on on war footing. Also, the deadline of 30 October has been set for repairing the roads of DMRC and NCRTC. MCD is also getting its roads repaired. Anti-smog guns are deployed in this season to prevent the dust present on the roads from flying. CM Atishi directed in the meeting that PWD should deploy 200 anti-smog guns on its roads and major pollution hotspots.

While DMRC will deploy 80, MCD 30 and RRTS 14 anti-smog guards at its construction sites. CM Atishi said that traffic police have been instructed to identify places prone to traffic jams and deploy additional policemen on the spot. Traffic is seen due to increased movement during the festive season. If home guards are needed, the traffic police can inform the Home Department of Delhi. The CM said that the use of generators will be banned in Delhi.

It is especially seen in banquet halls that diesel generators are used instead of temporary electricity connections. Therefore, the electricity department will deploy its teams. Also, the electricity department has been instructed to talk to the electricity companies and reduce the charges for temporary electricity connections for the next three months, as long as pollution is high. CM Atishi said that the government will run awareness programs. The people of Delhi will be appealed to do car pooling and not to use firecrackers on Diwali.

Also, all RWAs will be appealed to provide electric heaters to security guards so that wood is not burnt. Delhi government is committed to controlling pollution. I appeal to the people of Delhi that only government cannot stop pollution. Unless the people of Delhi come together, pollution cannot be reduced. During this, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the problem of pollution is not only of Delhi. Pollution coming from all around Delhi also increases the problem.

People of Delhi have to face more external pollution. Therefore, when the problem is collective, the solution should also be collective. That is why the rules of GRAP issued by the central agency CAQM should be implemented in the entire NCR including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan along with Delhi. Gopal Rai said that every time the Delhi government goes ahead to implement the GRAP rules, whereas it is not strictly implemented in the neighboring states.

Minister Gopal Rai said that there are BJP governments all around Delhi including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and at the Centre. Delhi is dependent on BJP governments from all sides. Now the AQI level is increasing continuously. He said, "I request all BJP governments that a strategy has been made to implement GRAP under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, in the same way the Central Government should focus on implementing GRAP in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan which come under Delhi NCR."

Gopal Rai further said that many BJP leaders are repeatedly saying that stubble is being burnt in Punjab. He said that the data of the Agriculture Research Institute from October 1 to 14 shows that there were 1105 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab in 2023, which has come down to 811 this year. There were 341 incidents of stubble burning in Haryana last year, which has increased to 417 this year. On the other hand, last year there were a total of 244 incidents of stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh within these 15 days, which has increased to 417 this time.

It is clear from these figures that while on one hand the incidents of stubble burning have reduced in Punjab, on the other hand the incidents are continuously increasing in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. He said that the data belongs to the central government. Gopal Rai said that BJP leaders are ignoring the incidents of stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by taking the name of Punjab. He said that the Delhi government will work together actively. Similarly, all BJP governments should come together. Only then will the positive effect of efforts to curb pollution be visible.