Air pollution control on government's top priority, preparations on in Delhi-NCR hotspots before winter

Everyone is aware of air pollution in Delhi. As the winter season draws closer, the stress of respiratory patients living in Delhi is increasing. In fact, due to the burning of straw in the neighbouring states, the level of pollution in Delhi increases greatly. To control this pollution, the Center on Thursday convened a meeting of the environment ministers of Delhi and surrounding states. Discussions were made in the meeting to make special arrangements on hot spots of pollution.

Giving information about the meeting, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that it was informed to the Delhi government that the hotspots. It was advised that the Delhi Government should pay more attention to  Mayapuri, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Vivek Vihar, Dwarka, Rohini, Anand Vihar, R.K. Puram, and Jahangirpuri. Roads in these areas where the dust is more frozen, get them cleaned, if the roads are broken, then repair them. 

The Union Minister informed that in Haryana also Sonipat, Gurugram, Panipat, Faridabad, and Jhajjar. In Uttar Pradesh Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahr, Gautam Budh Nagar and Meerut and Rajasthan's Bhiwadi, were identified as hotspots.

Prakash Javadekar said that the fight against pollution will continue in the coming days. But people must cooperate in it. He appealed to the people to use bicycles, timely servicing of vehicles, do not go on the narrow roads where there is a traffic jam. Javadekar claimed that if people follow instructions then we will be successful in dealing with pollution.

Steps were taken by the government to stop the pollution of stubble
In the recently concluded monsoon session, a question was asked in relation to what steps the government is taking to deal with the pollution caused by stubble burning every year in Punjab, Haryana and other states. Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment Babul Supriyo said that self-management of crop residues in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and National Capital Territory of Delhi during the year 2018-2020 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, to control the burning of stubble 'Central Sector Scheme to promote agro-mechanization', is being administered with central funds of Rs 1178.47 crore.

He stated that the scheme is to be continued till the year 2020-21 with provisional budget provisions of Rs 600 crores (100% central grant). In addition, the Punjab government has plans to provide a compensation of Rs 100 / - per quintal to small and marginal farmers who have cultivated paddy off-basmati and self-managed paddy straw without burning. The Government of Haryana provides an operating fee of Rs.1000 / - per acre for crop residual management under the scheme. In addition, the Haryana government has given incentives of Rs 100 per quintal to farmers who sold their paddy between 06.11.2019 to 15.11.2019 and did not burn crop residues. The governments of Punjab and Haryana have paid Rs 22.45 crore and Rs 3.02 crore respectively to farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have recorded a decrease of about 18.8% and 31% respectively in the year 2019 and 2017 as compared to the figures of active fire in the year 2018 and 2017.