New Delhi: The national capital is all set to get its first bi-weekly pollution action plan by February 2019. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will be funding the project from the ‘Environment Protection Charge’ paid by heavy-duty diesel vehicles. 

Initially, it was decided that the project will be restricted to only Delhi, but later it was proposed that it will be extended to all the surrounding cities in the NCR. 

What to expect from the project

1.    The bi-weekly pollution action plan, which is being formulated by scientists from IIT-Delhi, is expected to come up with pre-emptive measures.

2.    It will not only tell us how pollution could spike in the coming days, but also give an idea about places that would record a higher level of pollution. 

3.    The plan will also suggest what sources need to be controlled to bring down the pollution level, measures that could be enforced and by what percentage the pollution level would go down if the advice is taken. 

4.    Assistant professor at civil engineering department of IIT-Delhi Sri Harsha Kota said, as reported by Hindustan Times, “The plans would be submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at least a week in advance so that authorities get the time to take decisions and act on it. The measures suggested for every fortnight would change according to forecast and the probable pollution sources.”

5.    Scientists have been studying the latest emission inventory report of Delhi prepared by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. 

6.    They have been also consulting three-years’ data from the India Meteorological Department and National Physical Laboratory, which would be then fed into a US atmospheric dispersion modelling system. This will help them to predict how, where and when the population level can rise. 

 7. “Based on these forecasts, we would prepare bi-weekly or fortnight action plans primarily targeting the PM2.5 levels in the pollution hotspots. The plans would also try to tell by what percent the pollution could drop if the measures are implemented,” said Mukesh Khare, a professor at IIT-Delhi and coordinator of Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air, according to the website.