In a bid to track the pollution level of the national capital, Delhi Pollution Control Committee is expected to roll out its plan of using camera-fitted drones. The drones will be used for monitoring the garbage burning and industrial emissions in Delhi.
DPCC member secretary Arun Mishra informed about the plans of Delhi authority in a meeting of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority with the pollution control agencies in Delhi and nearby states. Arun Mishra apprised the media that the authorities have identified 13 air pollution ‘hot spots’ in the city.
Air pollution “hot-spots” of Delhi
- Okhla
- Narela
- Mundka
- Dwarka
- Punjabi Bagh
- Bawana
- Wazirpur
- Rohini
- Vivek Vihar
- Anand Vihar
- RK Puram
- Ashok Vihar
- Jahangirpuri
It has been reported that six more such clusters have been identified in the capital and adjoining areas. NCR towns of Faridabad-1 and 2, Sahibabad, Udyog Vihar, Bhiwadi, and Bahadurgarh are the proposed sites.
DPCC has informed that it is in the process of procuring more drones to increase its fleet of technology. The authorities might also go for getting night vision cameras to ensure 24×7 surveillance.
Speaking on the matter further, Arun Mishra said, “We had roped in three agencies in the past to monitor dumping of debris on the Yamuna floodplains, Ghazipur landfill fires and to check industrial pollution in Mundka, but permissions could not be sought from the union home ministry. We will write to them again.”
EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal said that they have too mooted the idea of aerial monitoring in pollution hotspots. He said that drone inspection is better than manual inspections. However, Arun Mishra said that the drones can only be used with permissions in the national capital. The limit of 50 feet height further impedes the smooth implementation of drones.