Delhi, Northen States Plan 6-Month-Long Information, Education & Communication Campaign Against Air Pollution

New Delhi: To combat air pollution in North India this coming winter, Delhi and other neighbouring states have planned a detailed six-month information, education and communication (IEC) campaign, which would formally start from September.

Emphasising collaborative approach involving all stakeholders, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had earlier asked the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to make comprehensive IEC action plans in this regard.

Complying with the CAQM's directive, Delhi and other northern states have submitted their respective IEC plans. The proposed plans offer a systematic framework for focused awareness, stakeholder involvement, and outreach initiatives across different sectors.

The staggered campaign will focus on industrial pollution, construction and demolition dust, biomass and crop-residue burning, and vehicular emissions, with State Pollution Control Boards and other concerned departments involving stakeholders in the outreach drive.

Notably, in North India, air pollution is a major issue. There are several factors contributing to it, like stubble burning, industrial pollution and vehicular emissions, among others. This ultimately poses health risks to the people.

IEC action plans

Delhi

According to the recent IEC action plans furnished to the CAQM by the Delhi government, a copy of which was uploaded on the Commission's website, orientation and sensitisation workshops will be conducted in coordination with the Industries Department and industrial associations, under the aegis of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on industrial pollution.

Areas/industries will be divided in clusters, and workshops will be planned on rotation basis to ensure that all industries are covered at least once till December, starting September 5. The focus would be on compliance of emission norms, use of approved fuel, installation of Online Continous Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs).

On awareness relating to construction and demolition (C&D) waste, workshops focusing on dust mitigation norms, its disposal, handling and transportation will be organised. At least one one workshop/coordination meeting/on site demonstration/community meetings will be held every month.

This would be organised by DPCC, the Environment Department, and construction agencies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

It also include engagement with citizens through different channels like social media, brochures, pamphlets, radio jingles, and community level programmes with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

At least least one programme/camp/training/workshop at Gram Panchayat or District level, focusing on stubble burning and associated public health impacts; and crop residue management techniques, is scheduled to be held from September to November.

Punjab

In Punjab, the IEC strategy for the Kharif season shall focus on creating behavioural change among farmers through practical, farmer-oriented and community-based IEC approaches. The campaign will be beyond conventional awareness activities, emphasising
positive social messaging, peer learning, field demonstrations and dissemination of local success stories to encourage adoption of sustainable crop residue management practices.

Special focus shall be placed on communicating the economic and agronomic benefits of Crop Resulted Management CRM technologies, including improvement in soil health, timely sowing of wheat and efficient utilisation of available CRM machinery.

The campaign shall include a combination of mass media outreach, field-level extension activities, digital communication and community mobilisation initiatives.

Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, for awareness on C&D waste, workshops will be held on mitigation norms/measures, its disposal, material handling and its transportation. One such workshops will be held every month.

On stubble burning, one programme must be organised at Gram Panchayat or District level in between September to November. The focus would be on prevention of stubble burning and associated public health impact.

Haryana

In Haryana, to tackle industrial pollution, the IEC plan include holding orientation and sensitisation workshops , awareness campaigns and coordination meetings in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Nuh, Palwal, Panipat, Karnal, Jind, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts. This would be organised under the guidance of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).

Workshops on prevention of stubble burning and associated public-health impacts would be carried out across all the district.

Rajasthan

As per the IEC action plan, in Rajasthan, one workshop would be organised every month from September to November on stubble burning. The focus will be on prevention of stubble burning and associated public health impacts.

Environmentalist Deepak Ramesh Gaur on Saturday hailed the CAQM initiative on IEC action plan, and said the entire focus should be on implementation. "This is a good initiative. But the reality is that we are not able to implement everything in the exact order. So the entire focus should be the implementation," he told ETV Bharat on Saturday.

He underlined that the Centre and the state governments must make every people aware about the issues concerning to the environment.

"We have to make aware each and every citizen's about the issues that are affecting the environment. The government at the Centre and the state should connect with every citizen at the grassroots. They have to reach to every individuals and talk about the affects of pollution, and how they can contribute in mitigating it," Gaur said.

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