An anti-smog gun being used to bring down air pollution levels in the national capital on Sunday, a day after Dasara celebrations.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday said the Centre has not yet responded to his government’s letters seeking approval for cloud seeding to induce artificial rain as an emergency measure to control pollution if air quality plummets to hazardous levels in winter.
The Minister’s remark came as air quality veered into the “poor” category on Sunday, a day after Dasara celebrations saw the bursting of firecrackers across the national capital.
Meanwhile, the BJP sought a clarification from Mr. Rai over the preparations to tackle the challenge posed to air quality in the winter months, with its Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva holding farm fires in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-ruled Punjab responsible for the Capital’s pollution problem.
According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin, the reading on the air quality index (AQI) stood at 224 at 4 p.m. on Sunday, up from 155 a day earlier.
An AQI reading between 201 and 300 is termed ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with stubble burning and the bursting of firecrackers on festivals contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi and other parts of north India in the winter months.
Earlier, Mr. Rai had rolled out a Winter Action Plan, with measures including drone monitoring, artificial rain, and the constitution of a special task force to combat air pollution.
On September 9, the Delhi government had also announced a ban on the bursting, storage, and sale of firecrackers.
‘Fast-track clearance’
Addressing reporters, Mr. Rai cautioned that with the onset of winter, pollutants may settle closer to the surface due to slower wind speed and a drop in temperature.
“During July, August, and September, the air quality index reading remained around 50 for extended periods, largely due to rainfall. Thus, to reduce pollution during winter, we suggested [to the Centre] that artificial rainfall could be beneficial,” he said.
The Minister said he had written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on August 30, urging him to call a meeting of experts from IIT Kanpur and other stakeholder departments to address this issue.
“We did not receive any response from him,” he said, adding that he again wrote to the Union Minister on October 10, but got no response.
Mr. Rai said in his second letter to the Union Minister, he urged him to fast-track clearance from Central government departments for cloud seeding.
“It is also your responsibility to support the people of Delhi in this fight against pollution. Therefore, I repeatedly urge you that if the artificial rain technology developed by IIT Kanpur is available to India, we should implement it in Delhi so that even in alarming situations, we could reduce pollution levels,” the Delhi Minister said.
‘Not a practical solution’
Reacting to Mr. Rai’s remarks, Mr. Sachdeva said every year, from October 25 to January 25, the national capital suffers from suffocating winter pollution due to stubble burning in Punjab.
He claimed that artificial rain is not a practical solution for a city as large as Delhi or during the two-month-long winter pollution period.
1,300-kg crackers seized
Meanwhile, the police said they have arrested three persons with over 1,300 kg of firecrackers during raids against their illegal sale in parts of the Capital on Friday.
Those arrested were identified as Manoj Kumar, Vipin Kumar, and Sanjay Atri, a driver. The police said they were arrested from Baprola village as they did not possess a licence for the sale of firecrackers.
“A total of 1,323 kg of crackers were seized from two godowns. The owners of both godowns and the driver who used to supply the crackers were nabbed,” DCP (Crime) Satish Kumar said.
Published – October 14, 2024 12:32 am IST