[Urbanstudy] Centre notifies green action plan (GRAP) for Delhi

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Centre-notifies-green-action-plan-for-Delhi/article17047352.ece
Centre notifies green action plan for Delhi
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
<http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Centre-notifies-green-action-plan-for-Delhi/article17047352.ece#>
NEW DELHI: JANUARY 17, 2017 01:34 IST

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Odd-even scheme, halt on construction activities among desperate measures
planned to control pollution

Concerned over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and the National
Capital Region, the Environment Ministry has amended laws and formally
tasked a Supreme Court-appointed panel with implementing a graded action
plan for pollution control.

The comprehensive plan, prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB), focussing on Delhi was submitted to the Supreme Court on December
2. The court had accepted the plan and asked the Centre to notify it.

Once the plan is notified, emergency measures like odd-even car rationing
scheme and ban on construction activities will be automatically enforced in
the city if level of PM2.5 breaches 300 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10
levels stay above 500 micrograms per cubic metre for two consecutive days.

“In pursuance of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central government hereby assigns
the task of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan to the EPCA
(Environment Pollution Control Authority)..." states the gazette
notification, dated January 12.

Ban on diesel gensets

The plan also recommends that during 'very poor' air quality, diesel
generators must be banned and parking fee increased by three to four times.

The plan lists a number of other measures such as closing brick kilns, hot
mix plants, stone crushers and intensifying public transport services
besides increasing the frequency of mechanised cleaning and sprinkling of
water on roads.

NGOs welcome move

Sunita Narain, the Director General of Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE) and also a member of EPCA, termed it a "very big step" in pollution
management and said there was no need to balk at the level of action the
plan lays out.

“The effort has to be that we do not reach a level of pollution emergency.
The first effort of the graded action plan is to prevent emergency. But if
there is one, we must not balk at the level of action that has to be taken.
Beijing or Paris do take tough action in case of emergency. We will have to
work out the mechanism.”

The challenge, said Ms. Narain, is that it has to be done across NCR and
that will make a difference as cities like Gurugram are equally polluted.

Greenpeace India welcomed the move saying it is a “logical and necessary
step” and it was high time that this “national health emergency is taken up
as a serious issue”.

“High level of air pollution in Delhi and NCR has been a matter of serious
concern and requires urgent measures to address the issue, particularly
with reference to episodic rises in pollution levels,” Greenpeace India
said in a statement. *(with inputs from PTI)*
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