Municipal Corporation of Delhi gets cracking on winter pollution

NEW DELHI: As the city prepares for enforcing the revamped Graded Response Action Plan from October 1, Municipal Corporation of Delhi claims to have already implemented measures for combating air pollution.
To begin with, it has installed anti-smog guns at all three landfills, construction and demolition waste plants and processing units where chances of air pollution are high during dumping and transportation of garbage.

“The 11 anti-smog guns for controlling dust pollution include two at Bhalswa, one at Okhla and one at Ghazipur landfill sites. Besides, five smog guns have been installed at the C&D waste plants at Rani Khera, Burari, Jahangirpuri, Shastri Park, Bakkarwala, and two at the Civic Centre, MCD’s headquarters,” said an MCD official.
MCD claimed to have engaged 52 mechanical road sweepers and 252 water sprinklers to control dust on the roads. “The mechanical sweepers are covering 1,560km each day on average and their operation is being monitored through GPS. At least 80% sprinklers are being used for controlling dust on 1,600km of roads every day,” the official said.
To stop illegal dumping of debris, MCD has designated 182 locations. “Malba in small quantities can be dumped at these sites from where it will be transported to the C&D waste processing plants. But bulk generators have been directed to dump malba at the C&D waste processing facilities at Bakkarwala, Rani Khera and Shastri Park directly,” said an official.
Regarding large construction sites, MCD is sanctioning building plans of over 500 square metre plots with the instructions to get registered on the DPCC C&D web portal. Surveillance teams will randomly inspect illegal dumping of C&D waste and biomass burning and penalise defaulters on the directions of the Delhi government environment department.
The civic body would be intensifying sweeping in residential and commercial/market areas. “On the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management, we are working in coordination with NGO Air Pollution Action Group for resolving complaints related to dispersed sources. The project includes identification, allocation and resolution of air pollution-related issues arising out of nonpoint dispersed sources,” said the official.
Point sources of pollution include power plants, while nonpoint ones are garbage dumps and waste burning. “A pilot project was launched by the erstwhile south corporation in 2020 to abate air pollution from nonpoint dispersed sources,” said a source.