NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, on Friday announced a 15-point Winter Action Plan to reduce air pollution in the capital ahead of the impending winter.

"There is frequently a rise in pollution as winter approaches. The Delhi government developed the plan to reduce air pollution after consulting with many organisations" said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal went on to say that the city's 2 crore populace and the government have worked strenuously to combat air pollution, which has drastically6 brought down the levels.

The Chief Minister said, "According to a report from the Center's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the pollution in the city has greatly decreased in 2021–22 as compared to four years earlier." He said that the PM10 level has decreased by 18.6%. He added that by reducing the use of generators, the capital's 24-hour electrical supply has also made a substantial contribution to the reduction of pollution.

Kejriwal added that since two thermal power plants that produced fly ash were shut down, Delhi has developed into a model state. When discussing further measures that have assisted in decreasing pollution in the city, he cited, among other things, a growing urban green space, an electric vehicle policy, and a peripheral expressway.

However, the Chief Minister noted that air pollution brought on by burning stubble continues to be a major issue at this time of year. Farmers will receive a free bio-decomposer created by the PUSA Institute, and an anti-dust campaign will begin on October 6,  he said, adding that  586 teams will conduct active monitoring for this endeavor.

He also said, 380 teams have been formed to monitor the PUC policy's implementation in the area of vehicular pollution and that the prohibition on firecrackers will stay in place as it does each year. An e-waste park has also been set up to dispose of electronic trash, 8,500 Paryavan Mitras have been set up, and data on the likely sources of pollution in Delhi is being collected alongside IIT-Kanpur. The government aims to plant 42 lakh trees so as to improve the amount of green space.

"Beginning on October 3, a nine-person expert team would be working continuously to devise a plan in a green war room that would be operational around the clock. Our green Delhi app was created roughly two years ago. 53,000 complaints have been submitted thus far. I'd like to encourage you to keep providing feedback on this"he said.

The Graded Response Action Plan would be used to forecast for three days at a time, he said. He also encouraged neighbouring states to ensure that the majority of outside cars run on CNG.

Delhi to suffocate again, AQI reached 418 in Anand Vihar

First arrest in Delhi 'Liquor Scam,' AAP worker Vijay Nair arrested

Liquor scam: Sisodia's special Sameer Mahendru arrested after Vijay Nair