Delhi's 2023 Budget Proposes New Anti-pollution Plan, Reviews Last Year's Efforts

The Delhi budget for 2023 has proposed a new anti-pollution war plan for the city in response to talks around deteriorating air quality in the national capital. This plan builds upon the 2022 action plan, which was successful in reducing pollution levels to some extent. The 2022 action plan included measures such as the Green War Room, Anti-dust Campaign, Green Delhi App, Bio-Decomposer, Water Sprinklers, Control on Industry Pollution, PUC Certificates, Hotspot Special Monitoring, FireCracker Ban, and GRAP III.

The Green War Room was launched to monitor and combat air pollution 24X7. The Anti-dust Campaign involved a month-long intensive campaign to enforce 14 anti-dust norms on construction sites, with strict action taken against violators. The Green Delhi App allows citizens to report pollution-causing instances to the government. Bio-Decomposer was used to prevent stubble burning and maintain air quality during the harvest time. Water Sprinklers were used as a low-cost solution to reduce heat stress and airborne particulate matter. Control on Industry Pollution involved regular inspections of nearly 1600 industries. PUC Certificates were made mandatory at filling stations in Delhi. Hotspot Special Monitoring involved continuous monitoring of 13 identified hotspots in Delhi. The FireCracker Ban involved a complete ban on manufacturing and sale of firecrackers. Finally, GRAP III included emergency measures to prevent further deterioration of air quality.

The finance minister, Kailash Gahlot, announced a budget of Rs 78,800 crore for the financial year 2023-24, and highlighted the citizens' efforts that helped to reduce air pollution by 30 per cent for the first time in 8 years.