TERI releases 10-point emergency plan to curb pollution

Amid worsening air quality in Delhi, a green body today released a ten-point emergency response plan, including reduction of crop burning and ban on movement of all 10-year-old vehicles in Delhi-NCR amongst others.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), has submitted the plan to Delhi government and the Union Environment Ministry while recommending that it should be enforced immediately in whole of NCR on forecasted days of very high pollution.
"Seven consecutive days of extremely hazardous air quality has taken a heavy toll on the health of Delhi's citizens. TERI is presenting a set of emergency response measures to save lives and protect the health of both the very young and older citizens.

"These need to be put in action every time we find ourselves in this extremely hazardous air quality situation. In addition, we also need to start taking steps to diffuse some of the causes which lead to such a situation," said Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI.
Latest study released by TERI shows 35 per cent of the PM 2.5 is contributed by transport in Delhi, for rest of NCR, domestic biomass burning for cooking, industries, transport, DG sets contribute 25 per cent. For regions beyond NCR, 40 per cent of the pollution is contributed by crop residue burning among others.

The ten point plan includes reduction of crop residue burning by strict enforcement of rules through heavy penalties, reduction of transport emissions through a ten times increase in parking charges at all the government parking spaces except in hospitals and introduction of congestion pricing or odd-even scheme for all private vehicles in NCR.

TERI also recommended ban on movement of all 10-year-old vehicles in Delhi-NCR while strictly enforcing imposing heavy penalties on violation of speed limits while it also recommended vacuum cleaning and watering of the roads in NCR and reduce power plant emissions.
Air quality expert at TERI, Sumit Sharma said,"It is time

that stringent measures are taken for control of emissions based on scientific assessments.
"Multi-sectoral regional scale plans are required for entire NCR and beyond for control of pollution in the city of Delhi," he said.
TERI said that the plan is only aimed to reduce dangerously high pollutant concentrations in a short time frame as it also recommended measures for medium- to-long term air quality improvement in Delhi-NCR.
The ten medium- to-long term measures include use of technologies to convert agricultural wastes into bio-char and briquettes, congestion pricing for all vehicles, timely enforcement of BS-IV in 2017 and BS-VI vehicle emission norms in 2020, gradual phase out of old vehicles among others.

It also recommended emission trading scheme for industrial clusters and mandatory installation of tail-pipe controls for SO2 reduction in major coal consuming plants, enhanced penetration of LPG and improved cook-stoves in NCR and beyond NCR regions, wall to wall paving and landscaping and cleaning of roads among others.