New Delhi, : To improve the air quality, the Government has taken various steps including improving fuel standards, stricter emission norms for power plants, banning of of bio-mass and garbage and dust mitigation measures, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.
‘We have taken five basic steps to improve for abatement of air pollution Delhi and NCR. We have leap-frogged from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since April 1, 2018 in Delhi and from April 1, 2020 in the rest of the country,’ said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar responding to supplementaries during Question Hour.
There has 15 per cent reduction in stubble burning which causes a lot of pollution in the national capital, he said.
The Minister said Badarpur thermal Plant has been closed from October, 2018, and notification issued for stricter emission norms for power plants.
All brick kilns have been shifted to zig-zag technology in Delhi and NCR and installations have been made for online continuous 24X7 monitoring devices for all red category industries in Delhi NCR.
Notifications have been issued regarding dust mitigation measures for construction and demolition activities.
There were 246 bad air days in 2016, 213 in 2017 and 206 in 2018, the minister informed the House, adding that good air days are increasing with the government taking measures in this direction.
In last three years, there was 16 per cent reduction in PM10 particulate matter emissions and 15 per cent reduction in PM5 particles, Mr Javadekar said.
UNI.
