Secretary (MoEFCC) reviews UP Government's Action Plan to address Air Pollution in Delhi NCR

Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Shri Narendra Bhooshan, today reviewed the action plans of Uttar Pradesh State Government and Urban local bodies, to address the air pollution in Delhi-NCR and winter preparedness.

UP Government presented 11 key initiatives that the State Government has taken so far and the activities planned to achieve the saturation of air quality improvement interventions address various sources of air pollution namely, road dust, construction and demolition (C&D) activities, open burning of biomass, vehicular pollution, traffic decongestion, industrial pollution, greening, paddy stubble management. The State Government in coordination with various agencies and local bodies has already implemented several measures which have achieved considerable progress.

The Secretary reviewed various interventions such as redevelopment of roads, traffic decongestion at hotspots, deployment of electric buses and EV charging infrastructure, establishing the solid waste processing facilities for processing of 100% solid waste generation, remediation of legacy waste dump sites, C&D waste processing facilities and secondary collection centres, monitoring and enforcement of air pollution control measures at Construction sites and industries.

While reviewing progress on interventions concerning vehicular pollution, Shri Bhooshan requested that State Government needs to actively engage truck and bus associations for faster adoption of benefits under PARIVARTAN scheme for replacing old trucks and buses. He suggested that Transport Department should play facilitative and proactive role in providing NOC for shifting of old vehicles out of NCR. The Secratary urged the State for faster installation of ANPR cameras at all fuel stations to enforce ‘No PUCC No fuel’ policy to address vehicular pollution.

Shri Bhooshan reviewed the adequacy of C&D waste processing facilities proportionate to C&D waste generation. He suggested that Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) already functional in several cities can integrate monitoring and enforcement actions such as remote monitoring of construction sites, tracking of vehicles carrying C&D waste and solid waste, mechanical road sweeping, traffic decongestion, functioning of mechanical road sweepers, etc. He has also suggested that Dust portal developed by UP Pollution Control Board for monitoring construction sites. It was informed that the State has already achieved the greening targets. The Secretary suggested that Urban local bodies must be encouraged to develop Namo Vans under Nagar Van Yojana of MoEF&CC.

Shri Bhooshan also reviewed the preparedness of industries installing Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) to meet the revised emission norms by specific category of industries as prescribed by CAQM. UP Pollution Control Board and Industry Departments were suggested to hold meetings with industries and associations to closely monitor the implementation and remove bottlenecks.

The meeting has been attended by the senior officials of Union Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Power; Road Transport and Highways, besides CAQM, CPCB, NCR Planning Board, and various Departments of Uttar Pradesh State Government, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board along with District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Noida, Greater Noida, Bulandsahr, Hapur, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.

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VM