Delhi government urges Centre to determine cause of rising pollution

New Delhi: The Delhi Government on Monday urged Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave to direct the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the exact cause of rising air pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

He also urged Dave to recommend corrective short-, medium- and long-term measures to curb the menace of air pollution in the city.

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain in a letter to Dave wrote that despite the Delhi government`s multiple progressive measures to fight air pollution, the city has gained the "unfortunate reputation" of becoming one of the most polluted cities in the world, with different locations recording some of the highest levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants.

"Satellite images from NASA show large-scale crop burning and pollution in the industries of nearby states like Punjab and Haryana, which is a major source of pollution," Hussain wrote.

"In this scenario, it is imperative that the source of emissions and their respective pollutant load contribution are investigated for the entire National Capital Region (NCR)," he added.

"I request you to instruct the CPCB to conduct the source apportionment study for the region in order for targeted and comprehensive anti-air pollution measures to be designed and executed by different states in the region," Hussain said in the letter.

He also urged Dave to ensure the accountability of various governments and streamline measures to combat air pollution in the national capital.