Flagging vehicular pollution as one of the most significant contributors to Delhi-NCR’s persistently poor air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas has constituted a 15-member expert committee to recommend a robust, multi-pronged roadmap for emission reduction in the vehicular sector.
Ashok Jhunjhunwala from IIT-Madras will chair the expert committee with former AIIMS director Randeep Guleria as co-chair. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality hovered in the ‘very poor’ bracket on Friday, with experts predicting a further spike that could push the city’s air into the ‘severe’ zone over the weekend.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4 pm stood in the ‘very poor’ category at 349, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CAQM, the committee has been given a timeline of two months to submit its recommendations. The first meeting of the expert committee is scheduled for December 15.
The panel has been asked to review policies, programmes and regulatory frameworks related to clean mobility, including Bharat Stage norms, electric mobility initiatives and fuel-efficiency standards across Delhi-NCR. Vehicular emissions remain a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi-NCR, aggravating PM2.5, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions. This poses serious public-health challenges in the region.
IIT Kanpur Professor Mukesh Sharma, Founder of Lung Care Foundation, Dr (Prof) Arvind Kumar, IIT Delhi Prof. Sagnik Dey; Niti Aayog Adviser Archana Mittal, ARAI Pune Director Dr. Reji Mathai, Saurabh Dalela, Director, ICAT, Manesar; Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW,
New Delhi: Anumita Rowchaudhary, Executive Director, CSE, New Delhi; Amit Bhatt, Managing Director, ICCT, New Delhi; Dr. Anju Goel, Associate Director, TERI, New Delhi; Dr. Virinder Sharma, Member Technical, CAQM; Representative of MoRTH not below the rank of Joint Secretary and Representative of MHI not below the rank of Joint Secretary are members of the committee.
Dr Virinder Sharma, member technical, CAQM, will serve as its convener.
According to a statement, the committee brings together leading academicians, health specialists and experts from automotive research institutions to prepare a multi-pronged roadmap for vehicular emission reduction. It will assess segment-wise contributions of vehicular emissions and related exposure risks.
The committee will also examine technological readiness, infrastructure needs, cost implications and incentive plans for an accelerated electric vehicle transition and recommend additional measures as needed.
The CAQM said the committee may consult stakeholders, co-opt additional experts or institutions if required and is expected to furnish interim recommendations when appropriate.
The Commission said the constitution of the expert committee aims to advance evidence-based policy action for improving air quality and safeguarding public health in Delhi-NCR. The committee’s mandate covers regulatory, technological and incentive-based measures to reduce pollution from the transport sector.
The CAQM has been raising the issue of vehicular emissions as a major factor for air pollution in Delhi. On Wednesday, it urged the Supreme Court to review its August 12 order that ordered no coercive steps be taken against the owners of 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in the national capital.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi’s Air Quality Management, transport was the biggest contributor to air pollution in the capital on Friday at 16.5 per cent.
The city and peripheral industries contributed 8.6 per cent, residential sources up to 4.1 per cent, construction 2.2 per cent and waste burning 1.4 per cent.
Among the NCR districts, Jhajjar contributed up to 14.5 per cent, Sonipat 6.4 per cent, Rohtak 4.3 per cent, Bagpat 2.1 per cent and Gurugram 1.6 per cent to air pollution, the DSS data showed.
