New Delhi (NVI): Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today said that the Environment ministers of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will hold a meeting on October 1 to review the issue of air pollution and stubble burning in the county.
The environment ministerial meet will also be attended by state pollution control boards, municipal corporations and various other urban bodies.
This meeting comes with the issue of stubble burning in the backdrop which causes immense air pollution yearly especially in the Northern states of India.
Speaking at a media briefing today, Javadekar said, “This year meeting with Environment Ministers of Delhi and neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, along with the respective Environment Secretaries, members of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Development Authority will be held virtually on October 1.”
Javadekar also highlighted that the problem of air pollution in the winter months in Northern states especially Delhi, apart from man-made factors are caused by meteorological and geographical factors.
In addition to this, he said that Central, state government and citizens need to work together towards mitigation of air pollution and it is a shared responsibility.
The Union Minister also said that in 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the real time Air Quality Index which acts as a key input in identifying pollution hotspots and directing policy efforts towards mitigation of air pollution.
The problem of air pollution in winters especially in the national capital is also related to meteorological reasons as well, he added.
The significant factor affecting Delhi’s Air Quality is ventilation index, defined as the product of wind speed and mixing height, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement.
“Winters are dominated by cold, dry air, and ground based inversion with low wind conditions, which makes the air stagnant and creates an unfavourable condition for dispersion,” it added.
Javadekar also stated the central government has done a series of initiatives to mitigate air pollution over the years. It closed down Badarpur power plant, phased out Sonipat power plant, and constructed the Peripheral Expressway.
“In a bid to control pollution, we gave a push to e-vehicles, and today more than 3 lakh vehicles are e-vehicles in the country,” he added.
-RJV
