Centre to set up control room within CPCB to constantly monitor actions to combat air pollution

NEW DELHI: Union environment ministry on Friday decided to set up a control room within the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to constantly monitor day-to-day actions of state agencies to control air pollution in Delhi and NCR.

Besides, it also took decision to issue notices to states' pollution control boards under Section 18 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to hold the local agencies accountable for not taking desired actions against air pollution within their respective jurisdictions.

These decision were taken in a review meeting of measures initiated\taken by Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to combat air pollution in the past over three months. The last such meeting took place in August.

The meeting, chaired by the Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, was the fourth ones since the Centre had set up this mechanism early this year. Environment ministers\senior officials of Delhi and NCR states attended the meeting where it was also decided to further step up efforts to fight air pollution.

Announcing these decisions after the review meeting, Javadekar said the issues of biomass and stubble burning, handling of construction waste and vehicular pollution were discussed and it was decided to monitor all activities through a control room within the CPCB. All state agencies would send their inputs to the Board and also get direction for how to implement various anti-pollution measures.

He said if the state agencies fail to do their jobs, the Centre would issue them notices to hold them accountable under an existing legal mechanism.

The minister also appealed the people to participate in these efforts and send the Board or state agencies the pictures of biomass, stubble or solid waste burning through WhatsApp so that the authorities can take quick action.

The review meeting was called in the backdrop of sudden deterioration of air quality in Delhi due to burning of stubble or crop residues by farmers in Punjab and Haryana in a massive scale.