Delhi: Pollution gets on government's nerve, Manish Sisodia announces various measures

After Delhi turned into a gas chamber after Diwali, the Delhi government announces a series of measures to tackle air pollution in the city.

Mail Today  | Posted by Yashaswani Sehrawat

New Delhi, November 2, 2016 | UPDATED 12:28 IST

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Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said vacuum cleaning and sprinkling of water will be done on arterial roads. Also, a team will be constituted focusing on decreasing the dust from construction sites and prohibiting burning of leaves.After Diwali festivities led to a toxic cloud of chemicals and smoke enveloping Delhi, the government announced a raft of measures on Tuesday.

Fireworks pushed pollution in the city to a dangerous level, the worst in three years, with Particulate Matter (PM 10 specifically) going up nine times the permissible limit of 100 ug/m3 on Sunday. Dangerous gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulphur Dioxide also shot up substantially.

ISODIA LAYS ROAD MAP TO TACKLE AIR POLLUTION

After a lengthy meeting with concerned departments, Sisodia said a roadmap has been drawn up to tackle air pollution under which the city's 55 crematoriums, including in Lodhi Road and Punjabi Bagh, will be retrofitted with chimneys to treat the smoke before it escapes in air.

A project will be initiated on pilot basis for controlled burning at the landfill sites using piping and venting to reduce uncontrolled toxic emissions at source.

Talks are on with GAIL on obtaining methane gas and covering of landfills with inert material and alum sludge from water treatment plants of Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Sisodia said the PWD has been directed to re-introduce within two weeks vacuum cleaning and sprinkling of water on 1,250 km of roads under the agency.

"The vacuum cleaning of roads was stopped following the monsoon. Jet pressure pump technique will be used for water sprinkling on footpath edges, road bumps and central verges. By doing this, we can control dust particles. In several countries, such technology is being used to curb dust pollution," Delhi deputy chief minister said.

Sisodia said PWD is exploring installation of mist fountain at five important traffic intersections including Mukarba Chowk and Anand Vihar, the most polluted areas of the city.

The PWD is also examining installation of air purifier at traffic intersections. The deputy chief minister said that Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been told to strictly carry out regular inspection at construction sites having area more than 20,000 sq metres.

The agency has been also directed to submit a detailed note about dust pollution in construction sites to him. About 90 per cent of dust pollution comes from the construction sites which need to be regulated.

There are 61 major construction sites in Delhi, but there are several small such sites and most of which violate laid down rules.

"Government has decided to make people aware about dust pollution. We will appeal to them to inform it about violations of rules. Swachh Delhi app developed by the urban development department to be also linked with dust complaints from construction sites on which people can complain," he said.