Ensure ban on burning of urban waste: Centre to Delhi, UP, Har

Environment Ministry today urged the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to take effective steps to enforce ban on burning of waste in urban areas, citing it as one of the reasons for poor air quality.
In a letter written to the chief secretaries of the three states, Environment Ministry secretary Ashok Lavasa directed that an emergency response mechanism be set up to respond to calls received from citizens in this regard.
"The Ministry has also brought to the notice of the Chief Secretaries that burning of urban waste is one of the factors that seems to be contributing to poor air quality in and around Delhi," an official release said.

The Secretary also requested the chief secretaries of the three states to make urban local bodies and other regulatory agencies specifically responsible to ensure that burning of waste is not resorted to, so that the deterioration of air quality caused by burning can be checked effectively, it said.