Stubble burning has stopped: Javadekar

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Stubble burning has stopped now but Delhi’s air pollution situation remains serious, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday urging the Arvind Kejriwal government to take swift action on the complaints forwarded to it by the CPCB.
The minister said several complaints that activities like biomass and garbage burning, improper waste disposal, violation of construction and demolition waste rules, unpaved roads and dust, which cause pollution, are still being carried out.
In a message from his residence here, Javadekar said that the apex pollution watchdog — Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) — has issued a notice to the Delhi government to take strict and swift action on the complaints forwarded to it about activities causing pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region.
“The situation of air pollution in Delhi is still serious. Stubble burning has stopped but Delhi’s air quality index still remains in ‘very poor’ category,” Javadekar said.
“CPCB’s 50 teams inspect Delhi and NCR every day and submit the complaints and observations from those visits to the agencies concerned. Yet, some work is done, some not. Hence, the CPCB has issued a notice to the Delhi government asking it to take necessary and swift action on complaints we are forwarding to it,” he said. “Delhi Government and all agencies concerned should swing into action as stubble burning has stopped now,” Javadekar said. In its notice, the CPCB asked the Delhi government to take strict action against industrial activities causing pollution like tyre pyrolysis, burning of tyres and other wastes etc. (PTI)