Delhi minister Gopal Rai unveils theme for 21-point Winter Action Plan 2024: Key highlights

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday unveiled the theme for this year's Winter Action Plan which is 'Milkar chalein aur pradushan se ladein'.

While addressing media, Rai said, "The rise in pollution levels in NCR states also impacts Delhi. We also need Central Government to bring down this level. When all agencies & governments work together, only then can pollution can be combated effectively."

The minister said that a 21-point Winter Action Plan has been drafted on the basis of which the government will start working.


Here are the key highlights from the plan:

• For the first time in Delhi, it has been decided to have drone monitoring of hot spots, said Gopal Rai. This will be done real time to find out the cause of the pollution.
• A six-membered Special Task Force will be formed to stop the causes of pollution.
• To control dust pollution, anti-dust campaign will begin in Delhi starting October 7, 2024. "All agencies - private and government have time until 7th October, if they do not meet the parameters by then, action will begin against them," said Rai, in a press conference.
• All construction sites over 500 meters will have to be registered on a portal.
• 85 road sweeping machines will deployed, 500 water sprinkling machines will be used.
• This time, 200 mobile anti-smog guns will be launched. It has also been decided that in the months of November and December, water sprinkling will be increased three times so that pollution level can be controlled, the minister said.

The minister also said that the Delhi government will go ahead towards implementing its winter action plan with the mentioned theme.

"As a result of our collective efforts, the pollution level is going down in Delhi continuously. In 2016, a total of 243 days were polluted. In 2023, this number dropped to 159 days - around a 34.6% drop. This drop in pollution level is due to the efforts of the governments as well as the contribution of people as well as their awareness," he further added.