MoEF to Launch Dust Mitigation Measures

• 13 Jul 2018

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has lined up a slew of measures to tackle dust pollution in the capital. It will include the launch of three pilot projects:

• Installation of filters on top of buses,
• Use of dust separation chemical sprays and
• Installing equipment that will suck in particulate matter. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will install these equipments.

Other measures

• Use of more mechanical sweepers.
• The pillars of the Delhi Metro network to have the hanging garden.
• Use of water sprinklers to settle the dust.
• Finalizing the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), so that it can be adopted by other states as well.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

• It is a medium-term national-level strategy to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
• The overall objective is to augment and evolve effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the country besides ensuring a comprehensive management plan for prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution.
• A separate component on ‘Technology Assessment Cell’ has been envisaged under NCAP to evaluate the technologies for prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution.
• However, it does not mention any specific target and time frame.