New Delhi: Considering the large number of non-point dispersed sources contributing to air pollution in Delhi, a project to control air pollution from dispersed sources will be implemented in Delhi with special focus during the coming winter season.
The project will go live in North DMC, East DMC and NDMC with effect from October 27, 2021 with improved inter-agency coordination among Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Nodal Officers and support from other agencies concerned. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been formulated for this purpose.
The decision in this regard was taken at the Review Meeting held by the Commission with Delhi Government Officials and Commissioners / Chairpersons of Municipal Corporations /New Delhi Municipal Council on October 21, 2021.
It may be mentioned that the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region(NCR) and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) with the support of an NGO, Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG), had initiated a pilot project with the help of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in its jurisdiction in the month of December, 2020 to abate air pollution from large number of non-point dispersed sources.
Also read: CAQM mandates online monitoring of dust mitigation measures in NCR
Supported by a robust review and monitoring program, the pilot project was successful in identifying about 17,290 issues in 104 wards of South DMC, out of which 10,900 (63%) of the issues pertain to the SDMC and the rest 6,400 (37%) issues have been assigned to other agencies. Under this pilot project, SDMC successfully resolved 95% of the issues pertaining to its own jurisdiction. The projectfocused mainly on the following steps:
- Sensitization Exercise to help ground-level officials understand the linkages between their daily tasks and the quality of air
- 3rdParty Survey to identify issues that contribute to spike in air pollution levels
- Allocation of issues identified and further tag them to the agencies concerned
- Ground-level reporting of resolution of the issues by the authorities concerned
- Enhancement of SmartCity 311 App to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the complaint redressal process
- Review Process to follow through on-ground survey procedure and ensure high standards while resolving the issues.
The major pollution sources addressed under this pilot project were: garbage dump sites, overflowing dhalaos, burning of garbage, construction and demolition sites, debris dumped on public land, road dust from unpaved roads, barren lands, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution etc.
The progress of the pilot project by SDMC was reviewed by CAQM on September 22, 2021 and based on the learning and outcome of the project, New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), North DMC and East DMC expressed their interest in replicating the project in their respective jurisdictions.
The Project envisages easy identification, allocation and resolution of air pollution-related issues arising out of large number of non-point dispersed sources.
With the introduction of the ‘SmartCity 311 App’ for efficient and effective monitoring of dispersed sources of air pollution, issues can be conveniently raised with a single tap. The ‘SmartCity 311 App’ carry a number of enhanced features like a simplified transfer protocol to reassign issues to other agencies, validation check to mark resolution has been introduced, updated reporting formats for easier monitoring, feature to track progress on long term issues and features to ensure officials are present at the issue site while uploading the resolution proof.
Citizen participation is an important aspect of collection of information from different sources in real-time. This not only strengthens the process of citizen-led issue identification but also expands the reachability of the system. Apart from on-ground 3rd party surveys, the SmartCity 311 App will also allow and encourage the citizens to raise complaints and help the municipal bodies in taking necessary steps to redress the issues concerned.
– global bihari bureau
