New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) With the Centre empowering the Supreme Court-mandated EPCA to enforce the Graded Response Action Plan to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR, odd-even scheme may be enforced and construction halted in the national capital if the air pollution stays above the emergencylevel for 48-hours.
The ambitious plan, first of its kind in India, also envisages the roll out of a host of other emergency measures including closure of schools, power plants and advisories asking people to avoid polluted areas and restrict outdoor movement.
Terming air pollution in Delhi and NCR as a "matter of serious concern", which requires "urgent action", the Environment Ministry in its notification assigned the task to implement the plan to Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
"In pursuance of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government hereby assigns the task of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan to the EPCA..." the notification, dated January 12, said.
Sunita Narain, who is the Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and also a member of EPCA, termed it as a "very big step" in pollution management and said there was no need to balk at the level of action the plan lays out.
The action plan prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), that had received the nod of SC on December 2 last year, details measures to be enforced based on the intensity of pollution -- ranging from severe plus or emergency to moderate-poor.
"The first effort of the graded action plan is to prevent emergency. But if there is one we must not balk at the level of action that has to be taken. Beijing or Paris do take tough action in case of emergency. We will have to work out the mechanism," Narain told PTI.
Severe plus or emergency level, as the plan describes, is when PM2.5 levels cross 300 µg/m or PM 10 levels cross 500 µg/m3 (5 times above the standard) and persist for 48 hours or more.
In such a situation, apart from odd-even and ban on construction activities, entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities) would be stopped while a task force will take decision on any additional steps including shutting of schools.
The controversial odd-even plan was twice implemented by the AAP government in the national capital -- in January and April last year. Its efficacy has been a matter of debate among experts while it had also generated a lot of political heat. PTI SBR TDS RG
