According to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Public Works Department (PWD) has been be roped to tackle the rising menace of dust particles, which had exacerbated the situation on all 100 feet and above roads. “PWD has been directed to re-introduce within two weeks vacuum cleaning and sprinkling of water on 1,250 kms of roads under the agency. “To keep dust down, the PWD has been asked to make a plan in cleaning of the roads. In reply, they said that in the next two days roads will be sprinkled on, so that the dust, which collects along the road, settles down. Jet pressure pump technique will be used for water sprinkling on footpath edges, road bumps and central verges. By doing this, we can control dust particles. In several countries, such technology is being used to curb dust pollution,” he said. Sisodia has directed this process to be initiated within a fortnight.

The Deputy Chief Minister also directed PWD to re-introduce the mechanism for vacuum cleaning of roads on long term basis which was stopped during Monsoon. “PWD has been directed to re-introduce the mechanism for vacuum cleaning of roads which was done during odd-even second phase,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) improved on Tuesday after levels of Particulate Matter (PM), the solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous, reduced to some extent, but it still figured in “very poor” category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. On Monday, the AQI in Delhi had reached 445 due to a large number of firecrackers being burst on Diwali on Sunday night, which took pollution to “severe” category. On Tuesday SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has recorded Particulate Matter 10 at 468 (µgm-3) and the level of PM 2.5 was at 315 (µgm-3). DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) also recorded PM 10 thirteen times higher than the prescribed standards of Indian Metrological Sensors (IMD).

As air pollution in the city rose to unprecedented levels, the Deputy Chief Minister held a high level meeting with all stakeholders and prepare a roadmap to curb air pollution in the national Capital. After a lengthy meeting with concerned departments, Sisodia also announced that the Government has drawn up a roadmap to tackle air pollution under which emission control device to cut toxic pollutants at the landfill sites as well as in crematoriums will also be installed including vacuum cleaning and sprinkling of water on arterial roads, cutting dust from construction sites and prohibiting burning of leaves. It was also decided that these measures would be appraised to the Ministry of Environment and Forest at a high level meeting of all stakeholders states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP at Paryavaran Bhawan on November 4.

Sisodia also said that SDMs are being given power to challan construction sites contractors if the same are found to be contributing in increasing pollution level in the city.

“90 per cent of dust pollution comes from the construction sites which need to be regulated. There are 61 major construction sites in Delhi, but there are several small such sites and most of which violate laid down rules. Government has decided to aware people about dust pollution. We will appeal to them to inform it about violations of rules. Swachchh Delhi App developed by the Urban Development Department to be also linked with dust complaints from construction sites on which people can complain. Some sites aren’t checked regularly so environment department has been asked to spread awareness and also an open portal will be made for people to share grievances about open construction sites causing pollution.” he said.

Another step announced by him was installation of emission control device like chimney, wet scrubber, etc at cremation grounds in collaboration with all three MCDs. “There are 75 cremation grounds which also contribute in increasing pollution level. With the help of MCDs, we will install smoke tappers to curb air pollution,” Sisodia said.

Apart from this, the AAP Government has also decided to begin pilot for controlled burning using piping and venting at all landfill sites to reduce uncontrolled toxic emissions at source. The Deputy CM directed that immediate steps be taken to control/trap methane to reduce its emissions in open air. DPCC and DJB will submit a report to the Deputy CM after exploring the use of sludge on the landfill sites.

A senior Government officials said that matter will be taken up with GAIL with respect to controlled burning methane gas and covering of landfill sites with inert material, alum sludge from water treatment plant of DJB.

The air quality in Delhi and many States in the northern belt reached alarming levels during Diwali, the worst in three years. Commuters found it difficult to travel as the visibility level plunged in several areas.

As per the data released by the Delhi Government on Monday, the carbon monoxide (CO) levels in air on Diwali ranged from 2.0 mg/m3 to 4.2 mg/m3 (microgram/cubic metre) in comparison with 1.1 mg/m3 to 4.0 mg/m3 during last year’s Diwali.

Particulate Matter 10 or PM10 levels ranged from 448 µg/m3 to 939 µg/m3, a steep increase from last Diwali’s 296 µg/m3 to 778µg/m3.

PM 10 is called so because of its diameter which is 10 micrometre or less. To put it in perspective, a human hair is 100 micrometre wide.

Another harmful pollutant, PM 2.5, ranged from 180 µg/m3 to 440 µg/m3. These are fine particles which emanate from automobiles, burning of wood and construction material. They are responsible for making the atmosphere hazy marked by low visibility.