Delhi to have summer action plan to fight pollution: Gopal Rai

The Delhi government will prepare a 14-point summer action plan to fight pollution in the capital, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

He said the plan will focus on open burning of garbage, fires at landfill sites, increasing green cover on the roadside, rejuvenation of water bodies, parks, tree transplantation monitoring, phasing out of single-use plastics, development of an eco-waste park, urban farming etc.

"We have decided to prepare a summer action like we have in winter to fight air pollution. Agencies concerned have been asked to prepare their respective plan by April 11," Rai said at a press conference.

The minister stressed that 31 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi is from local sources and the rest is from outside.

"I have repeatedly requested the Centre to tackle the air pollution issue at the regional level. It's not our problem alone. We have been taking steps to reduce pollution from local sources. We demand that the Centre conduct joint review meetings with the states on a monthly basis," he said.

The minister also said the number of good air quality days in Delhi have increased from 53 in 2018 to 72 in 2021 and the number of poor air quality days reduced from 114 in 2018 to 48 in 2021 on account of anti-air pollution steps taken by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

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