An anti pollution task force! Heard about it? How often have you? Oh, you have not! Well, that’s not out of a movie based on climate change. Also, this isn’t some soapy, dreary made-for-home viewing television saga aimed at increasing the overall level of awareness about the aspect of climate catastrophe!
As a matter of fact, actually an anti pollution task force. This is what the city of Delhi is talking about and it’s something whose time, truth be told, had to come. So here it is.
Up first, a question. What is the anti pollution task force about?
With the key idea being to sure that there is proper implementation of air pollution norms, the centre in Delhi as well as the Supreme court have come out with the idea of constituting what are being called the anti pollution task force (s).
Here’s what news platform NDTV had to say:
The move comes after the Supreme Court raised questions that despite the arguments in court and various claims of the government, the ground reality on pollution was not changing and the centre’s Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lacked enforcement powers.
The centre has now formed a five-member Enforcement Task Force and has constituted 17 flying squads. The centre plans to increase the number of flying squads to 40 over the next 24 hours. The government informed the court today that flying squads have so far inspected 25 sites across Delhi-NCR.
Flying squads will make surprise visits and inspections and will comprise officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). They will ensure compliance with rules such as ban on construction, limited functioning hours for industrial units, controlling road dust etc. They will report to the Enforcement Task Force, which will meet daily at 6 pm, either physically or via video conferencing.
In addition to the above, here’s what the affidavit had to say, one related to the anti pollution task force, now in place and soon to start operating in the country’s national capital:
There are 124 number of border entry points to NCT of Delhi. The concerned State Government will ensure deployment of teams from the Road Transport Department of the concerned States along with requisite number of police personnel at every border entry point for 24 hours, in rotation. These teams shall be responsible to ensure that directions contained of the CAQM are scrupulously complied with.
Basis that input, what’s also important is to note that in order to ensure that all work related to bring down the level of pollution in the very city afflicted by tons of it, the concerned body has instituted a team of five who will be a core part of the anti pollution task force in Delhi. These are all important and key members related to different pollution control boards.
Now that the important anti pollution task force has been initiated by the government, the key thing to watch out for is to note is up to what extent is pollution actually brought down and by when. What is and will be needed will be a sense of urgency, rhetorics won’t do. And what won’t is also to have preconceived notions about a move that has been done in order to bring down the overall level of pollution not increase the clamour of judgement around it!