EPCA issues area-specific directions for Delhi's pollution hotspots

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Protection (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Friday discussed with Delhi authorities area-specific steps to check air pollution in the national capital and asked them to seal dirty fuel-based industrial units in residential areas.

At a meeting with Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev and other senior officials, EPCA chairman Bhure Lal asked them to set up special teams to check rampant burning of plastic and rubber waste in west and north Delhi.

"There are a number of plastic and rubber manufacturing units in Tikri Kalan, Mundka, Ghevra, Hiran Kudna and Nangloi in west Delhi, and in Bawana and Narela in north Delhi. Incidents of plastic and rubber waste burning are reported from these areas frequently.

"We have asked the government to set up teams for night patrolling to check such incidents. The teams will also ensure that only authorised fuels are used in industries instead of dirty fuels such as furnace oil, rubber oil or coal," he said.

A lot of incidents of rag-pickers setting fire to garbage in Masoodpur and Jamia Nagar in south Delhi has come to the notice of the EPCA.

Special attention will be paid to the zone near the Yamuna river where chemical industries burn their toxic waste.

Directions have been issued to step up surveillance in unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters and vacant plots where tonnes of garbage is burnt. Owners of the vacant plots will be asked to construct boundaries to help check such incidents, Bhure Lal said.

The pollution hotspots in east Delhi are Usmanpur Pusta, Bhajanpura, Dallupura, Seemapuri, Gandhi Nagar and welding and pickling units nearby.

A special drive will be launched in Mandoli residential area in northeast Delhi. There are a lot of copper wire manufactures in the area that use dirty fuels for their furnaces, the EPCA chairman said.

"We have made it clear that only imposing a fine on those using unauthorised fuels is sufficient. Industries will be sealed and owners prosecuted to stop the practice," he said.