Delhi to Use Drones for Air Quality Monitoring: Gopal Rai Announces Winter Action Plan
New Delhi [India], September 5: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that the Environment Department will use drones to monitor air quality at pollution hotspots as part of a 21-point plan to curb air pollution during the winter session.
Addressing a press conference at Delhi Secretariat, Gopal Rai stated that 35 departments attended an important meeting regarding the Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution in cold months in Delhi. The Kejriwal government will prepare a winter action plan based on 21 focus points to deal with air pollution. For the first time, drone monitoring will be done to reduce pollution at hotspots. Also, a special task force will be formed. The departments concerned have been instructed to submit their action plan on the winter action plan by September 12.
The meeting held in the Delhi Secretariat was attended by officials of the Environment Department, DPCC, Forest Department, Development Department, Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), CPWD, DDA, Delhi Police, DTC, Revenue Department, DSIIDC, Education Department, DMRC, PWD, Transport Department, Delhi Jal Board, DUSIB, NDMC, etc.
The Environment Minister said that all the departments concerned have been assigned different responsibilities on 21 focus points, according to which the winter action plan will be prepared. Gopal Rai gave information about the decisions taken in the meeting through a press conference. He said that all the departments have been directed to submit detailed action plans and suggestions under the Winter Action Plan to the Environment Department by September 12.
This time, for the first time, pollution will be monitored by drones at 13 hotspots to reduce pollution. Also, a special task force will be formed to prevent pollution. The 2024 Winter Action Plan includes hotspots, vehicle and dust pollution, work from home, stubble and garbage burning, industrial pollution, upgrading the war room and green app, dialogue with the central government and neighbouring states, and preparation for odd-even and artificial rain as emergency measures.
Gopal Rai said that the government has intensified its preparations to deal with the problem of pollution in the winter season. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, our government has continuously taken strict steps to reduce air pollution in Delhi, resulting in a reduction of about 30 per cent in pollution in the last 9 years. The number of good, satisfactory, and moderate category days increased from 110 in 2016 to 206 in 2023.
Doubts Revealed
Drones -: Drones are small flying machines that can be controlled remotely. They can take pictures, videos, and even measure things like air quality.
Air Quality Monitoring -: Air quality monitoring means checking how clean or dirty the air is. It helps us know if the air is safe to breathe.
Gopal Rai -: Gopal Rai is a politician in Delhi. He is the Environment Minister, which means he works on keeping the environment clean and safe.
Winter Action Plan -: A Winter Action Plan is a set of steps or actions that will be taken during the winter to solve a problem. In this case, it is to reduce air pollution.
Pollution Hotspots -: Pollution hotspots are places where the air is very dirty. These areas need special attention to make the air cleaner.
Special Task Force -: A special task force is a group of people chosen to work on a specific problem. They have special skills and knowledge to help solve the issue.
Departments -: Departments are different parts of the government that handle specific tasks. For example, one department might take care of roads, while another takes care of schools.
Stubble Burning -: Stubble burning is when farmers burn the leftover parts of crops in their fields. This can create a lot of smoke and make the air dirty.
