Delhi LG Najeeb Jung sets up committee to recommend ways to reduce pollution

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday constituted a high powered committee to look into ways to reduce pollution levels in the city.

As per the Lieutenant Governor's directions, the high powered committee will specifically look into A) pollution caused by growing number of vehicles on the roads of Delhi and B) pollution levels in Yamuna because of outpouring of industrial and sewer waste in the river.

The committee has been asked by the Lieutenant Governor to examine all aspects of pollution, its cause, its levels, and steps required to check pollution in the city of Delhi.

As per the directions issued to the committee, they are required to suggest both long term and short term measures to be adopted to tackle the issue of pollution in Delhi. He has asked for a comprehensive report with viable solutions to check pollution in the city. The input is to be submitted in a month.

The high powered committee will be chaired by the Chief Secretary and will have Special CP (Traffic), Delhi Police; Secretary (Environment); Commissioner (Transport) and Additional Secretary (DPCC) as its members. The committee has been empowered to co-opt members, both from the Government and the private sector, including NGOs.

Jung has directed the high powered committee to submit its report to him within the next 4 weeks, so that suitable action can be initiated on its basis.

He had taken a meeting on May 9 2014 at the Delhi Secretariat with Chief Secretary and all senior officers of the Delhi Government, where too he had expressed concerns about growing levels of pollution in Delhi.

Jung had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to ensure closure of polluting units and had instructed the concerned Commissioners to demonstrate compliance with DPCC orders. The Lieutenant Governor had also directed the Secretary, Urban Development (UD) to fix accountability of inspectors/officers who had not taken action on the complaints forwarded to them by the DPCC.

The DPCC has recently issued closure notices to 112 stainless steel picking units in Wazirpur industrial area for discharging untreated toxic waste into the Yamuna.

Jung said, "We cannot allow for pollution to grow unchecked. It is our moral responsibility to provide a healthy environment to our citizens."

"If we have to ensure health of our cities, we will have to take stern steps against pollution and polluting units," he added.