There Was A 42-Point Plan To Curb Pollution In Delhi, It Remained on Back-Burner For A Year
Those responsible did not do anything whatsoever.
A meeting convened by the central governement with Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP and Haryana conceded that a roadmap drawn up last year had failed to deliver results due to poor implementation.
AFP
Also Read: 10 Pictures That Show What Pollution Has Done to Delhi
A 42-point action plan was finalised by the environment ministry in consultation with state governments in December last year.
Though the ministry had fixed different timelines for different actions, a majority had not been acted on in the past 10 months.
Reuters
The Delhi government will examine the possibility of providing funds from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) and diesel cess to neighbouring states for incentivizing various machinery like happy seeders, rotavators, straw choppers, gyro rakes, bailers, mulchers to minimize straw burning by farmers," said an environment ministry post-review meeting statement.
With neighbouring states raising the issue of finances, it was felt that funds from Delhi's green cess being collected from new high-end diesel cars and SUVs as also from commercial vehicles entering the city could be utilized. This could motivate Delhi's neighbours to clean up their act and contribute to making the capital's air healthier.
AFP
Other measures include closing of brick kilns operating on obsolete technologies in the NCR during the winter season and ensuring control of fly ash from the Badarpur thermal power plant in the capital.
With stubble burning a major reason for polluted air, the issue was discussed threadbare and top officials from the Delhi government agreed to consider the proposal of extending financial assistance to neighbouring states.
Delhi government is expected to soon get back to the Centre. If it agrees to assist neighbouring states, over Rs 300 crore will be available for purchase or subsidy for machinery that can encourage eco-friendly measures to dispose of stubble after harvesting crops.
"Delhi government has assured it will immediately come out with a plan of action to utilize the money available with it from the collection of environmental tax and 1% cess for steps to improve the environment," said environment secretary Ajay Narayan Jha after he chaired the review meeting.
AFP
Jha admitted weak enforcement has become a major stumbling block in the ongoing efforts to control air pollution in the NCR. "There are many areas where much more needs to be done. Enforcement mechanism is still weak. States have been asked to make enforcement stricter and take appropriate steps," Jha said.
Also Read: Living In Delhi These Days? Save Yourself From Pollution, Here Are 8 Ways
