Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday relaunched the green war room to tackle the capital’s pollution problem. This will enable the Delhi government to monitor the progress of its Winter Action Plan and will also enable participating agencies to coordinate pollution control more effectively.
Pollution around the onset of winter in Delhi has been a concern over the past few years. Launched in 2020, the Green War Room, with state-of-the-art air quality monitoring equipment and a team of experts including scientists and data analysts, keeps a close eye on all sources of air pollution in Delhi and helps the city government implement its action plan.
While the Green War Room was launched in 2020, the Delhi government launched 24/7 operations in 2023.
A team of eight members has been deployed to oversee the work of the Green War Room. The team will be led by environmental scientist Dr Nandita Moitra.
Monitoring in the room will take place on seven levels. The pollution and pollutant data collected by the drones will be monitored and analyzed by a team of eight members. NASA satellite data on straw burning and open waste burning will also be examined in the room.
The team will keep a close eye on complaints about pollution received on the green app. The team will analyze data from 24 hotspot stations – areas with the highest pollution levels. Additionally, the team will closely monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) in and around Delhi and recommend changes to tackle pollution.
Environmental engineers will study the causes of pollution, monitor primary pollution levels, propose measures to curb pollution and handle complaints on green applications.
Notably, the Delhi government also announced a 21-point winter action plan to tackle air pollution. It involves using drones to monitor 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi where PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) levels have been consistently higher than average.
360 teams have been deployed to inspect vehicles with pollution-free certificates. The action plan aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and implement a cracker ban, especially around Diwali. The government will also launch a dust control campaign from October 8.
A letter has also been written to the Center regarding artificial rainfall in Delhi between November 1 and 15, during which time pollution in Delhi is expected to peak.