NEW DELHI: It may be long before air quality in the city improves. The new AAP government is just starting to negotiate with the Centre and neighbouring states to draw out yet another action plan for the national capital region.

Meanwhile, it is focusing on small interventions.

As the AAP government completes 49 days in power, environment minister Asim Ahmed Khan told TOI that next week it will enhance the powers of sub-divisional magistrates to penalize people who burn waste in landfills and other parts of the city and provide a helpline number for such complaints.

The other solution he is pursuing is getting e-rickshaws back on the roads; some new models that comply with The Automotive Research Association of India have already launched, he said. The AAP government is also considering making pollution-under-control certificates mandatory for refueling, but the policy needs some finetuning.

“Experts have informed me that 8-10% of Delhi’s pollution is from waste burning. Even if we can stop this practice completely, we can only marginally bring down pollution. Our notification next week will announce very strict action against safai karamcharis or anyone who burns waste,” Khan said.

The government hasn’t yet managed to figure out how it can discourage use of personal vehicles. “I can only request Delhiites to use public transport. Some families own six cars and each person uses a different car. They should move together and not use a car at all when possible. But on the action front, our government is very keen that e-rickshaws come back as soon as possible,” he said.

Khan hasn’t had a word with the Centre on improving fuel standards to Euro-V yet. “We have been in power for 49 days. But the BJP in Centre has been there for almost a year. Isn’t it their responsibility also to address this crisis? I haven’t met Javadekar yet but, when I meet him next week, I will definitely request full support. Even the e-rickshaws that we think are very important for Delhi cannot be brought in without their help,” Khan said. He is uncertain whether more bus rapid transit corridors will be constructed in the city. “We can finetune our plan when neighbouring states and the Centre come onboard.”

The environment department, along with the transport department, is considering making PUC mandatory for refueling at petrol pumps. “We are very serious about this issue and some of our policies will be unfriendly,” Khan said.

Khan said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed that they come up with a strong policy as soon as possible. “As you know, even his health is affected by pollution. My mother, too, had to be hospitalized recently due to breathing problems. Pollution doesn’t differentiate between VIPs and aam admi,” he said. The environment department will increase funds to eco-clubs in schools so that children can be roped in to create awareness. It will also organize a campaign on air pollution on Earth Day (April 22).

