By PTI
NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday held a key meeting with the governments of Delhi and its neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on the action plan to mitigate air pollution caused by stubble burning.
Briefing the media about the meeting, the minister said discussions were held over implementation of action plans by states to mitigate pollution due to agriculture stubble burning, dust, construction and demolition waste, biomass burning and vehicular pollution.
The minister said coordination and synergy reflected in the action plan by each state under the overall framework prepared by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
“Outcome of action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by the states,” Yadav said.
Tweeting about the meeting later, the minister said, “Chaired a meeting with Haryana CM Shri @mlkhattar ji and Environment Ministers and senior officials from neighbouring states on the preparedness and taking ahead the multi-pronged action plan on air quality. Addressed issues requiring inter-state & inter-inisterial coordination.”
“It was heartening to note that the spirit with which the Commission for Air Quality Management was conceived is reflected in the action plan of states. The outcome of the action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by states,” he said.
Sharing the plan for utilisation of PUSA’s bio-decomposer technology, the minister said that it will be given to farmers in Haryana free of cost for one lakh acre of land and in Delhi, it will be used in more than 4,000 acres of area under paddy, out of the total area 14,600 acres.
He said that Uttar Pradesh will be given 10 lakh capsules of the bio-decomposer free of cost for 6.1 lakh acre land and Punjab to get it for approximately 7,413 acres of land.
Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue left behind after harvesting and before cultivating wheat and potato.
It is one of the main reasons for the spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR at the onset of winters.
The paddy harvesting season is between October 15 and November 15.
