New Delhi: Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday expressed concern over the high levels of PM10 and the persistent issues related to solid waste management in some NCR cities in Haryana.
Reviewing Action Plans of Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and Karnal for tackling air pollution, Yadav said that a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini would be convened to address these concerns.
Yadav assured early funding and approvals for pollution mitigation schemes, emphasising that all NCR cities should be brought under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) framework.
Reviewing the presentations, he ordered that comprehensive data be compiled on industries operating with and without Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO).
The Minister directed that instructions be issued to all District Magistrates/District Collectors in NCR to collect data on CTO/CTE permissions, total commercial electricity connections, and industrial units with GST registration.
These datasets are to be correlated to identify illegally operating and non-compliant industrial units, particularly with respect to OCEMS and Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) installations.
The Minister directed an increase in the number of automated Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) integrated with the SAMEER App to enable real-time air quality monitoring.
Yadav stressed the need for rigorous awareness generation among stakeholders whose activities contribute to pollution.
He observed that smaller municipal corporations should be provided with appropriately sized commercial electric vehicles for public transport, keeping in view road width and passenger footfall.
The use of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) and handheld litter pickers was also stressed, with directions that only EV/CNG-based machines be procured under the Op-Ex model.
Under dust control measures, directions were issued for the plantation of local bush varieties in open spaces and on pavements, along with real-time repair of potholes.
The Minister also called for the submission of short-term and long-term smart traffic management plans for all the reviewed cities to reduce congestion and vehicular emissions.
(IANS)
