Air pollution: Delhi minister Sirsa chalks out plan with NCR districts' traffic cops
New Delhi, Oct 25
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa held a high-level virtual meeting with senior traffic police and police officials from neighbouring NCR districts to review preparedness for controlling air pollution during the upcoming winter season, an official said on Sunday.
Senior traffic police officials from Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat and Bahadurgarh participated in the meeting.
Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhry, and Niharika Rai, the Transport Commissioner of the Government of NCT of Delhi, were also present.
Sirsa emphasised that air pollution is a regional issue that requires coordinated action by Delhi and neighbouring NCR states.
He said that the objective of the Delhi government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is to ensure that pollution-control measures are implemented not only within Delhi but also in coordination with adjoining NCR districts.
Sirsa stressed that effective border management, strict enforcement, smoother traffic movement, cleaner public transport and coordinated action against non-compliant vehicles will remain important components of Delhi's winter pollution-control strategy.
The meeting focused on strengthening inter-state coordination and ensuring effective implementation of pollution-control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the statement said.
The Delhi government is working in close coordination with the Union government and Central agencies, with continued support for measures aimed at improving air quality, strengthening clean mobility, reducing road dust and ensuring coordinated enforcement across the NCR.
The meeting deliberated on key measures in accordance with GRAP and CAQM directions to strengthen traffic management and pollution control across Delhi and the NCR.
It discussed steps for improved traffic management and decongestion and decided that traffic movements will be synchronised, and adequate traffic personnel will be deployed at identified high-traffic corridors and congestion-prone locations, particularly near NCR border areas, to ensure smoother traffic flow and minimise vehicular emissions caused by prolonged congestion.
"For strict enforcement of PUC norms, vigilance and enforcement will be strengthened. Visibly polluting vehicles will be stopped, and strict action will be taken, including impounding of vehicles and imposition of the maximum permissible penalties, wherever applicable," Sirsa said.
The directions of the Supreme Court regarding the diversion of truck traffic not destined for Delhi through the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways will be also strictly enforced to reduce unnecessary heavy-vehicle movement through the city, the statement said.
"The applicable orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court concerning restrictions on the plying of overage diesel and petrol vehicles, along with other restrictions prescribed under the prevailing rules and regulations, will be strictly implemented," it added.
"Buses operating in Delhi-NCR from cities and towns outside Delhi will be required to comply with the applicable fuel and emission standards. Buses other than those running on electric power (EV), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or BS-VI-compliant diesel will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR, in accordance with the applicable directions," it said.
— IANS
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