Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (October 5, 2020) launched a mega anti-air pollution campaign named "Yudh Pradushan ke Virudh" in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the campaign, separate plans have been prepared for each of the 13 pollution hotspots in the city, Kejriwal said during a digital press conference.
He said, "Customised plans of action are being made for each area, according to their respective causes of pollution & the thereby execution those plans to deal with all that pollution."
Stressing on the harmful effects of polluted air, he said "Polluted air can be life-threatening in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both affect lungs."
A "war room" is being set up to monitor all anti-pollution measures being taken by the Delhi government, said Kejriwal. Along with that, the government is also preparing a "Green Delhi" mobile application, he said.
People will be able to bring pollution-causing activities, such as garbage burning or industrial pollution, to the Delhi government's notice by using the application.
"A 'Green Delhi' app is being developed which will be launched before the end of this month. It will be a photo-based complaint lodging application to take action against & redress specific pollution activities which are notified by the citizens of Delhi," the chief minister said.
"There will be a deadline to address complaints. I will get a daily report about resolved and pending grievances," he added.
Kejriwal has also issued directions to departments concerned to fill potholes to reduce dust emissions, which, he said, is a major contributor to air pollution in the city.
"Teams have been inspecting construction sites to check dust pollution," he said.
The chief minister pointed out that one of the major reasons for high levels of pollution in Delhi and nearby areas is stubble burning.
"Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute here have found an economical way to deal with the problem. They have prepared a solution which can turn stubble into manure," he said.
"We are going to prepare this solution at a large scale from Tuesday under the supervision of experts from the institute. This solution will be used in Delhi this year. Next year, we will urge other states to use it," Kejriwal said.
The chief minister said that action is also needed against a large number of brick kilns using outdated technology in nearby areas.
