Action Plan To Reduce Delhi Pollution

A high-level meeting to discuss pollution in the capital yesterday recommended an improved public transport system, a time-bound programme to phase out coal-based power plants and compulsory utilisation of fly ash by the construction industry.

The other steps suggested were to bring forward the deadline for enforcing new emissions norms from January 1, 1999, supply of low sulphur diesel (0.25 per cent) and availability of sufficient quantity of natural gas to the power plants were other steps needed to free the capital from pollution.

The meeting was called by environment and forests minister Jai Narain Prasad Nishad and attended by Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma and state transport minister Rajinder Gupta.

Nishad said in the absence of a good public transport system, two-wheelers powered by the highly polluting two-stroke engines continued to pose a serious threat to the environment of the capital.

The Delhi government should draw up a programme to induct new buses and phase out old DTC and private buses for the next ten years commensurate with the rise in population and passenger trips. Introduction of high capacity buses on the lines of Brazil as an interim measure during the ninth plan should also be considered.

Nishad said the ministry of petroleum and natural gas should examine how quickly they could provide low sulphur diesel (0.25 per cent) to all diesel vehicles in Delhi which would reduce particulate emissions significantly. Stricter pollution checking norms such as automated testing stations for all commercial vehicles could be introduced.

The minister pointed out that the committee of secretaries had recommended that measures against polluting vehicles be enforced rigorously from the beginning of this year and hoped the government had already begun action on this.

He said rigorous enforcement of Rajamani committee recommendations of traffic management would help improve driving conditions in Delhi.

Participating in the discussion, Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma stressed on the need for immediate induction of 3000 buses to augment public transport facilities in the capital and said the Centre should consider this on an urgent basis. Expressing his resolve to check pollution in Delhi at all costs, Verma demanded delegation of powers under the Environment Protection Act to the state.

Nishad responded to this immediately and said this would be done within a fortnight.

Verma said within six months his government should be able to show results in the task of abating pollution.

The representative of the power ministry pointed out that gas turbines in the capital were working at half their installed capacity. This was because the ministry of petroleum and natural gas was not able to supply gas in sufficient quantity.

He said conversion of coal-based power plants into gas-based plants was imperative to control pollution in the capital effectively.

Intervening in the discussion, the representative of petroleum ministry said the ministry was examining if it could supply low sulphur diesel to Delhi by April 1,1999. He assured that the gas linkage committee would also discuss the allocation of gas to Delhi.

Others who attended the meeting included secretary (environment and forests), the chief secretary of Delhi, representatives from the ministry of surface transport, petroleum and natural gas, power, the transport commissioner of Delhi, additional commissioner of Delhi police and general manager of Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (Desu).