Delhi’s Winter Action Plan: Drones, Smog Guns to Fight Pollution

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th Sept. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai unveiled the city’s Winter Action Plan on Wednesday to address the rise in pollution during the winter months. The plan, themed “Mil Kar Chale, Pradushan Se Lade” (Let’s fight pollution together), includes a range of measures such as drone monitoring, an anti-dust campaign, task forces, road-sweeping machines, and the deployment of 200 mobile anti-smog guns.

The minister emphasized the need for a collaborative effort between the government and the people to combat Delhi’s notorious winter pollution, which typically spikes during this time of year. The Winter Action Plan, based on 21 key focus areas, will be implemented immediately, Rai said.

“This year, our theme is ‘Mil Kar Chale, Pradushan Se Lade,'” Rai stated, underscoring the importance of community involvement in the effort.

Rai also highlighted that pollution from neighboring NCR areas significantly impacts Delhi’s air quality, though he noted that pollution levels within the capital have improved. He cited a 34.6% reduction in pollution from 2016 to 2022, with the number of polluted days dropping from 243 to 159.

Key points of the action plan include the use of drones for real-time monitoring of pollution hotspots, the formation of a special six-member task force, and strict penalties under an anti-dust campaign starting October 7. Construction sites larger than 500 square meters must register online before that date.

Other initiatives include the “Harit Padyatra” (a walk to raise awareness about greenery), an electric vehicle parade, and the “Red Light On, Gadi Off” campaign to curb vehicle emissions.

The government will deploy 85 road-sweeping machines, 500 water-sprinkling vehicles, and use mobile anti-smog guns three times daily, compared to once a day last year. A ban on firecrackers will also be enforced, and the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stages will come into effect. The minister also mentioned that the city is exploring artificial rain as a possible measure.

To further encourage proactive pollution control, the “Harit Ratan Award” will be introduced for individuals and organizations contributing significantly to pollution reduction.

Additionally, bio-decomposers will be sprayed across 5,000 acres of farmland to tackle stubble burning, another major pollution contributor.

A 360-member team has also been formed to monitor vehicle emissions and ensure compliance with regulations, especially for older vehicles set to phase out.