New Delhi: P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, Monday reviewed the readiness of stakeholders to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR during winter and emphasized the urgent need to transition to electric vehicles and strictly implement the air pollution control plan.
Chairing a high-level task force meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, he instructed the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to rigorously enforce action plans to prevent stubble burning, fully utilise crop residue management (CRM) machines and support small industries in the economic use of paddy straw.
Senior officials, including the cabinet secretary, the Delhi police chief and representatives from the ministries of environment, agriculture, power, petroleum, road transport, housing, and animal husbandry, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Mishra stressed the importance of promoting electric vehicles and expanding EV charging infrastructure in NCR areas to tackle air pollution.
He also encouraged states to increase their e-bus fleets under the PM eBus Sewa Scheme, which aims to add 10,000 e-buses in the country, according to a statement.
Mishra called for the prompt and effective implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) — a set of anti-pollution measures enforced during winter — and the ban on firecrackers by all relevant agencies to manage air quality.
