Delhi CM unveils 15-point winter pollution plan

Addressing the issue of stubble burning in Punjab, Kejriwal said: “Last year, stubble burning had fallen by 30% compared to the previous year. This year, the Punjab government has taken steps, which include diversification of crops, that is growing crops other than paddy, to which there has been a good response. Another step is varieties of paddy – focus on short-term varieties that generate less stubble and leave more time to dispose of stubble. There has been a good response to this too. For ex-situ management of stubble, some companies have come forward and adopted districts. In those districts, these companies will transport the stubble and will convert it into energy or fertilizer. It will be difficult to say how much stubble burning will be reduced this year, but there should be an improvement.”

Paddy stubble burning events in Punjab have seen a marginal uptick recently, with 68 burning events being recorded on Friday, as per IARI data from satellites. This is up from 33 on Thursday, 21 on Wednesday and three on Tuesday.
A combination of factors — low wind speeds, cold temperatures, smoke from stubble burning in other parts of northwest India, emissions from other sources like vehicles and industries — keep the NCR’s air polluted in winter.

An analysis of air pollution in the NCR last winter by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had said that Delhi’s average PM2.5 levels from October 1 to January 31 was highest among 27 NCR towns and cities, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, and Faridabad.

Measures that city will be taking this year are similar to those taken last year – checking construction sites for enforcement of dust pollution norms, anti-smog guns, mechanised sweeping, checking of PUC certificates, a war room for monitoring, and focused action at the city’s 13 air pollution hotspots, which includes Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh.

Kejriwal also pointed out measures that have been taken so far, including shutting off the two coal-based power plants in the city, purchasing new buses including 800 electric ones, Delhi’s Electric Vehicle Policy, and industrial units being made to shift to PNG use. He added that there has been a reduction in pollution, though the situation is not yet “ideal.”

Addressing the winter action plan, Anumita Roychowdhury at CSE said, “The plan is emergency action, a way of ensuring that more pollution is not added when pollutants are already trapped. What is doable has been listed. More complicated sources like vehicles, burning of dirty fuels in households, which require systemic efforts – action remains limited in scope in those sectors. If round-the-year action can scale up requisite infrastructure, that will benefit winter pollution as well.”

Dipankar Saha, former head of the CPCB’s Air Lab, said, “Toxicity of air pollutants would have to be reduced by total emission reduction. There is a need to work for the actual reduction of emissions and not just deploy anti-smog guns or mechanised sweeping, which are measures that won’t help in the long run.”

Meanwhile, the CAQM has said that DG sets for all capacity ranges will continue to be allowed, but only for emergency services in the NCR, even when GRAP restrictions are in place, till December 31 this year.