Centre suggests accelerated implementation to curb pollution in a time-bound manner

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The window before the winter season must be fully utilized to implement pollution control measures in mission mode. Timely execution, effective coordination and strict enforcement will be critical to achieving visible improvements in Delhi-NCR's air quality,” said Yadav while emphasising the urgency of timely action.On critical issue of stubble burning that increases level of air pollutants in Delhi-NCR during every winter, Yadav urged the state govt to bridge gaps in procurement of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery and accelerate establishment of Custom Hiring Centres.

He also emphasised the need for intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns and farmer training programmes to promote effective use of CRM equipment. He suggested that local elected representatives identify stubble-burning hotspots in coordination with Gram Panchayats, and asked District Collectors to survey industrial units and document their crop residue storage and consumption capacities to facilitate efficient demand-supply management.“The state authorities were also advised to ensure adequate availability of crop residue balers,” said a statement from the environment ministry on the review meeting.

It said, “The minister also reviewed progress on construction and demolition waste management and requested that the establishment of Secondary Collection Centres for C&D waste be expedited. He also stressed that liquidation of legacy waste should be undertaken on a war footing.”Referring to municipal solid waste (MSW) and biomass burning, Yadav called for the constitution of dedicated task forces and emphasized achieving 100% collection of municipal solid waste and biomass to eliminate littering and prevent open burning.

On the issue of End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles, Yadav requested the authorities to expedite issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for transfer of eligible EoL vehicles outside the NCR, while simultaneously encouraging scientific scrapping of old and unfit vehicles. He also called for faster replacement of old polluting vehicles with electric vehicles under the ‘Parivartan’ scheme.“The minister requested that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras be installed at all fuel stations for effective implementation of the ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ initiative.

Stressing the need to improve urban traffic management, Yadav asked the authorities to identify traffic congestion hotspots on a mission mode and implement suitable mitigation measures at the earliest,” said the official statement.Reviewing industrial pollution control measures, Yadav stressed the need for accelerated installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) across industrial units.Get the latest India News and Live updates.

Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVishwa MohanVishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy.

He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCJP To Collect Protest Videos, Identify Police Personnel, Seek FIRs Over July 20 Crackdow