Interdepartmental teams formed to improve air quality at 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi: Gopal Rai

New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the city government has formed interdepartmental teams to improve air quality at the 13 air pollution hotspots in the capital.

The 13 identified hotspots are Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri, Dwarka.

These hotspots were identified based on the annual average concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in these areas.

At a press conference, Rai said specific action plans have been developed to identify and mitigate local sources of air pollution, with the goal of achieving an immediate improvement in air quality.

He said an inventory of pollution sources reveals that construction work, emissions from diesel vehicles, broken roads, and traffic congestion are the primary reasons for poor air quality at Anand Vihar.

Rai said, "Interdepartmental teams have been established to address these issues. We will deploy 12 mobile anti-smog guns to control dust pollution in the area."

Similarly, teams have been established to address pollution resulting from biomass burning and broken roads in Ashok Vihar.

The minister also highlighted that dumping of waste, construction projects, and traffic congestion are major contributors to pollution in Bawana.

In Mundka, road construction and traffic congestion significantly impact air quality, he said.