Delhi govt unveils 21-point winter action plan to combat air pollution

Environment minister Gopal Rai, introducing the plan at the Delhi Secretariat, said: “This year our theme is ‘Mil Kar Chalein, Pradushan Se Ladein’ and for that, we need public participation. For the first time, drones will monitor air quality at Delhi’s pollution hot spots, and an STF, comprising six members, will ensure enforcement of pollution control measures.”

He emphasised that the plan, which comes into effect immediately, also includes an anti-dust campaign from October 7.

To be sure, the Delhi government makes a Winter Action Plan every year, but it has little impact on peak pollution, which plunges the city into a public health emergency.