New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Delhi will publish its first ‘State of Environment Report’ next year that will have data on all key areas, including sewage, water quality, waste collection and segregation etc., put together succinctly.
The city government is also likely to give funds to municipal corporations for the first time for the management of road dust and potholes and to prevent open waste burning.
“The multiplicity of departments in Delhi impedes problem resolution. Had it been Nagpur or Mumbai or Chennai, it would have been easier. So, the objective is to fix accountability of the concerned departments,” an official said.
The Environment Department is in the process of floating a tender to hire an agency to collect data from all the concerned departments, including municipal corporations, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, and Forest and Wildlife, and prepare the report.
“Municipal corporations will provide data related to waste generation, segregation, battery operated vehicles etc., the Delhi Jal Board will furnish data related to water quality, sewage treatment, sewer network etc., and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board will give information about jhuggi-jhopri colonies,” the official said.
The compilation work should begin in February and will be completed by the end of March. This will be the first time we will be preparing such a holistic report, he said.
The Environment Department will also give some of the funds received from the Centre under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to MCDs for the management of road dust and potholes, and to prevent open waste burning.
“This is also the first time we will give funds to MCDs that have been complaining about the shortage of resources to check pollution. It will help fix accountability,” the official said.
The Union Environment Ministry has released Rs 11 crore to Delhi under NCAP to address critical gaps in air pollution management, according to officials.
This is the first time Delhi has got funds under NCAP, a national-level strategy for a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.
Delhi has been allocated Rs 18.74 crore under NCAP. The first instalment of Rs 11 crore was released earlier this month, according to a senior official in the Union Environment Ministry.
“The rest of the amount will be released after Delhi submits utilisation certificates for up to 60 per cent of the first instalment,” he said. PTI GVS DIV DIV
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