NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government on Saturday announced a series of measures to curb air pollution, including denial of petrol or diesel to vehicles older than 15 years at fuel stations across the national capital.
BJP leader Manjinder Sirsa, who recently took charge as the Environment Minister, said the directives would come into effect after March 31. Minister Sirsa, after holding a meeting with officials, said the BJP government would take stringent steps to curb vehicular emissions in the city.
“We are installing gadgets at petrol stations to identify vehicles older than 15 years. No fuel will be provided to them after March 31,” Sirsa said. Teams would be formed to identify vehicles older than 15 years and prevent these from entering the city. “We will rope in Delhi University students for a plantation drive. This will give nearly 30,000 students a chance to participate and get certificates,” Sirsa said.
A senior official of the Delhi Government, however, clarified that diesel-run vehicles older than 10 years would be denied fuel after March 31.
The minister said the government would make it mandatory for big hotels, office complexes, construction sites as well as Delhi airport to install anti-smog guns on the premises. “We are going to make it mandatory for all high-rise buildings and hotels in Delhi to install anti-smog guns. Commercial complexes will also have to install these,” Sirsa said.
The government would transform barren land in the city into jungles, he said. “We have decided on several new initiatives. We will take requisite permission for cloud seeding to create artificial rain when the city is in the grips of severe pollution,” Sirsa added.