Environment Ministry asks Haryana, U.P and Delhi Governments to set up Emergency Response Mechanism to curb Burning of Urban Waste

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has urged Chief Secretaries of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and National Capital Territory of Delhi to take effective steps to enforce the ban on burning of all types of waste in urban areas. The Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashok Lavasa, in a letter written recently, has directed that an emergency response mechanism be set up to respond to calls received from citizens in this regard. The Secretary has also brought to the notice of the Chief Secretaries that burning of urban waste is one of the factors that seems to be contributing to poor air quality in and around Delhi.

The Secretary has also requested the three Chief Secretaries to make urban local bodies and other regulatory agencies specifically responsible to ensure that burning of waste is not resorted to, so that the deterioration of air quality caused by burning can be checked effectively.