NEW DELHI: A high-powered committee set up by the LG recently has listed a slew of measures to counter air pollution in the city. Key recommendations include linking the pollution under control (PUC) and vehicle registration databases so that notices are issued automatically to violators, upgrading the PUC system to track polluting vehicles and directing the traffic department to crack the whip on visibly polluting vehicles.
Among long-term plans are a parking policy and higher parking fees as a disincentive to car users. "People are not using parking lots as surface parking is much cheaper. This is leading to traffic congestion," said a senior official from the environment department. Sources who attended the meeting said there were recommendations to treble or double the current surface parking rates. The committee has also recommended advancing the implementation of Euro V fuel standards in Delhi.
There are action-points on increasing last-mile connectivity by introducing more minibuses and integrating the existing suburban ring rail service. But Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the only non-government body that was co-opted in the meetings of this committee, on May 28 said listing out broad points will not help as the devil lies in the detail.
Anumita Roychowdhury, head of CSE's air pollution programme who was present in the meeting, said, "They have made a list of what needs to be done. But to make sure that it has some impact, there needs to be a very strong monitoring mechanism". She added that continuous adjustments and deeper structural reforms are needed.
The plan seems to have many loose ends. It stresses on the existing mechanism of PUC certificates. Macro solutions were not discussed despite the presence of the Union ministries of earth sciences and petroleum and natural gas in the meetings. Neither was the plan to introduce an air quality index and a health alert system. The draft second-generation air pollution action plan that was prepared to deal with the post-CNG air pollution issues in Delhi was also not included in the discussions. "The current listing is more of an improvement of all the mechanisms that exist. But no broad long-term plans have been discussed yet," said an official who was part of the meeting.
The LG had set up the high-powered committee chaired by the chief secretary with special CP (traffic), Delhi Police; secretary (environment); commissioner (transport) and additional secretary (DPCC) as its members after a WHO air quality database last month showed Delhi is the most polluted among 1,600 global cities. The concentration of PM2.5 (fine, respirable particles) was said to be the highest in Delhi at 153 micrograms per cubic metre while the WHO standard is 10 micrograms per cubic metre. In Beijing, the level was 56 micrograms.
