With pollution reaching alarming levels in the national capital, the Centre on Wednesday directed Delhi and three neighbouring states to take immediate steps like action against “visibly polluting vehicles”, mechanised sweeping of roads, creation of green buffers along highways and effective disposal of construction debris to control dust.
Environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the directions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act have been issued to Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
He said that while mechanised sweeping of roads will be introduced to control dust, municipal agencies have been asked to undertake sprinkling of water and putting up of curtains to control air pollution from construction and demolition activities.
“We have issued specific directions. There has to be immediate action on visibly polluting vehicles, check the over-loaded transport vehicles as it causes pollution, weighing machi-nes should be immediately installed at the entry points, no parking on non-designated areas should be allowed, stringent action against bio-mass burning, immediate stoppage of unauthorised brick kilns,” Mr Javadekar said.
Coming down hard on pollution emanating from construction and transportation of debris, Mr Javadekar said new waste management rules will be notified in January.
“But before that, from today we are putting certain restrictions through this directions that water should be sprinkled over dust so that the particles don’t get mixed into the air and vehicles carrying construction materials and debris must be covered well. So all these restriction will be in force from today (Wednesday),” Mr Javadekar said.
