The Delhi government has written to the Union Health Ministry requesting its help to get helicopters and aircraft via the Civil Aviation Ministry for the aerial sprinkling of water across the capital to contain pollution.
Support Independent Media
The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.
ContributeIn his letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain said the Delhi government will pay for the aircraft.
The pollution in Delhi has reached critical levels “due to various causes including stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, the bursting of crackers during Diwali,” he said. Further, weather conditions like calm wind and low temperature heighten the concentration levels of particulate matter PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the ambient air. Aerial sprinkling is expected to lower dust concentration.
Hussain said the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, in its meeting on October 17, has decided to enforce provisions of very poor and severe categories of graded response action plan till March 15, 2018.
In another development, the authority has also asked the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to identify the 10 dusty roads into the capital including NH 24 and fix them. The city already uses trucks to water arterial roads to curb pollution.
Power NL-TNM Election Fund
General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.
Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?