Delhi government extends anti-open burning campaign till June 30, says Minister

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has decided to extend the anti-open burning campaign under its “summer action plan” to June 30, environment minister Gopal Rai said on Monday. Rai presided over a joint review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat with various departments working in tandem to run the campaign. 

The anti-open burning campaign was carried out in two phases, first from April 12 to May 12 and second from May 13 to June 13. Now in the third phase, instructions have been issued to continue this campaign till June 30.

In the second phase, 10,794 garbage burning sites were inspected. Along with this, notices and challans have been issued to four violators and fines of around Rs 55,000 have been collected. “A total of 500 teams from 10 departments have been deployed at various locations across the city to monitor any such incidents of burning of waste and any other material 24*7.

In addition, the MCD has been directed to work on a nine-point action plan to prevent fires at the landfill sites,” said Rai. He added that through the Green Delhi app, in the second phase of the campaign, out of 674 complaints, 631 complaints have been resolved.