Campaign to discourage open burning from today, 588 teams to be deployed: Gopal Rai

New Delhi: A campaign to discourage open burning of waste will begin in Delhi on Wednesday in view of the rising air pollution, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, Rai said 588 teams from different civic agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), will be deployed to report open burning incidents across the national capital.

"After Diwali, the pollution level in Delhi reached 400 and the next 10 days are going to be crucial, according to weather experts. I held a meeting with 33 departments today to review the measures taken and discuss the steps that will be deployed to control the situation. All departments have been instructed to stay alert," Rai said.

He also urged Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to grant permission to induce artificial rain in Delhi to improve air quality. "I want to request the Union environment minister to take time out for a meeting with officials and grant permission to conduct artificial rain over Delhi. I believe this will help alleviate pollution and provide some relief to Delhi residents," Rai said.

Sharing details on the ongoing efforts of the Delhi government to tackle pollution, Rai said over 7,900 sites have been inspected since the implementation of the Winter Action Plan in the city. A penalty of Rs 63 lakh has been imposed on 428 offenders for major violations, the minister said.

The city government has further installed 68 anti-smog guns at key locations with an additional 146 stationary anti-smog guns on building tops and 200 mobile anti-smog guns deployed at hotspots across various constituencies, he said.

A total of 76,598 vehicles have been fined for pollution violations and 3,248 old vehicles have been impounded. Regarding stubble burning, Rai said, "We have applied bio-decomposers over 3,298 acres and further instructions have been given to speed up the process."

The Delhi environment minister also mentioned that different civic agencies have been directed to provide heaters to night duty staff to prevent incidents of open burning of waste during winter.

"The Delhi government is already running campaigns to tackle the issues of dust pollution, stubble burning and vehicle emissions. As winter approaches, open burning becomes an additional concern contributing to pollution. Therefore, an anti-open burning campaign will commence this Wednesday." "A total of 588 teams will be deployed to monitor and manage this issue. Additionally, all departments have been instructed to mandatorily provide heaters for night shift staff, including at construction sites," he added. Delhiites continued to breathe toxic air on Tuesday as the air quality edged closer to the severe zone in some areas. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384 at 9 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The 24-hour average AQI recorded at 4 pm was reported at 381 on Monday, the second highest in the country.