Delhi’s Plan to Fight Pollution: Gopal Rai’s New Measures
On October 24, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced the deployment of civil defence volunteers to enforce Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi. These volunteers will focus on controlling dust, vehicle pollution, and garbage burning. During a meeting with Chief Minister Atishi Marlena, the Lieutenant Governor, and other officials, it was noted that more workforce is needed for effective implementation.
Rai emphasized the need for additional traffic police at Delhi’s borders to manage vehicle flow, especially diesel buses. He suggested coordinating with neighboring states and adjusting government office timings to reduce road congestion. Rai also requested the Lieutenant Governor to discuss artificial rain with the central government as a pilot project.
Rai expressed confidence in collective efforts to combat pollution and urged everyone to unite against it. He has repeatedly asked Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to convene a meeting with stakeholders to address the rising pollution. The Delhi government has already initiated the Winter Action Plan and is exploring cloud seeding as a potential solution.
Doubts Revealed
Gopal Rai -: Gopal Rai is the Environment Minister of Delhi, which means he is responsible for taking care of the environment in the city. He works on plans to make the air and surroundings cleaner and healthier for everyone.
Civil defence volunteers -: Civil defence volunteers are people who help the government in emergencies or special situations. In this case, they will help make sure people follow the rules to reduce pollution in Delhi.
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) -: The Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, is a set of rules and actions that are put into place to reduce pollution when it gets too high. It has different stages, and each stage has specific measures to control pollution.
Artificial rain -: Artificial rain is a way to make it rain using technology. It can help clear the air by washing away dust and pollutants, making the air cleaner to breathe.
Stakeholders -: Stakeholders are people or groups who have an interest in a particular issue or project. In this case, they are people who are concerned about pollution in Delhi and can help find solutions.