CPCB deploys 50 teams to report air polluting sources in Delhi & NCR

As Delhi braces itself for the winter season which brings along with it a chronic problem of worsening air quality, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has announced its decision to send 50 teams on extensive field visits to Delhi and NCR regions from Thursday to tackle the major sources of air pollution on ground.

According to the CPCB, through the use of the SAMEER App, these teams will focus on reporting the major air polluting sources on the ground, like construction activities, dumping of garbage and construction waste, burning of garbage and industrial waste, etc, the data of which would be shared with concerned agencies through an automated system for speedy action. 

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Apart from the CPCB, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has also stepped into action issuing directions on banning the use of diesel generators in the region from October 15 under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). These exclude essential and emergency services like medical facilities, elevators, railway services, Delhi Metro, airports, and interstate bus terminals, and also the data centre run by the National Informatics Centre. 

On Wednesday, the city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 274 while the 24-hour average AQI on Tuesday was 300, with pollution levels oscillating between "poor" and "very poor" categories. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is likely to improve to the moderate category by Thursday.

According to reports, close to 700 cases of stubble burning have been reported in Punjab and Haryana between September 21-29, adding to the deteriorating air quality. Over a period of nine days, there has been an alarming increase in the Active Fire Events (AFE) registered in Punjab and Haryana this year. Punjab reported 579 cases of AFE while Haryana reported 120 as against a much-lowered number of 208 and 27 respectively last year. Stubble burning is considered to be the major cause of the rising pollution levels in Delhi. 

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(With Agency Inputs)