Delhi’s local pollution sources also need to be dealt with: CPCB

New Delhi, Dec 4 : The Central Pollution Control Board on Friday said that open dumping of garbage, construction-demolition activity, unpaved roads, and re-suspension of road dust are the major local sources contributing to Delhi’s air pollution at a time when the contribution of stubble burning to the crisis has plummeted to merely one per cent.
This holds importance the air quality index of the national capital remains in higher end of the ‘very poor’ category, at 380 microgrammes per cubic metre, even in the absence of stubble burning. This is due to emission from the local sources, along with unfavourable meteorological conditions.
In a letter to the Pollution Control Board, Traffic Police, Municipal Corporations, Transport Departments of Delhi and its adjoining states, Dr. P. K. Gupta, Divisional Head of CPCB Air Quality Management (AQM), stressed on the need to effectively deal with the local sources of pollution with the incidences of stubble burning coming to an end.
“Based on feedback received from the 50 teams deployed in the field since 15.10.2020, the major sources are open dumping of garbage, construction demolition activity, unpaved roads and pits, and re-suspension of road dust,” the letter said.
The areas of concern or hotspots are Narela, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Dwarka and Punjabi Bagh in Delhi and Faridabad, Jhajjar, Noida, and Bhiwadi in the National Capital Region.
“As per the analysis and complaints received, the south, south-west district, north, north-west, and north east districts of Delhi and Jhajjar, Bhiwadi, Gurugram North, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Noida in NCR are the areas that need to take actions to control air pollution due to construction-demolition activity, open dumping of garbage, road dust, and industrial emissions,” Gupta stated.