Action plan of Rs 33 cr finalized under NCAP for improving air quality Index

SHAKEELA ANDRABI

SRINAGAR: A Meeting of District Level Implementation Committee on National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad to finalize Rs 33 crore Action Plan under NCAP to improve Air Quality Index in Srinagar District.
During the meeting, threadbare discussion was held on various aspects and components incorporated under the action plan for implementation and monitoring of NCAP including conducting mass plantation, construction of water fountains, holding of IEC activities and new initiatives in Agriculture sector under Mission life etc. Deputy Commissioner took a comprehensive review of Action plans proposed by the Sub Committees constituted for formulating city specific plans for implementation and monitoring of NCAP in Srinagar. It was decided that Rs 10 crore shall be spent on creating Green Zones with Mass plantation across City on Central verges along important junctions of the City including Pandrathen-Athwajan Axis and Panthachowk-Lasjan Axis, Sonwar junction to Shivpora, Haj House complex and Bemina-Shalteng axis and other areas would be undertaken.
In addition, Rs 5 crore was allocated for vertical plantation at various important locations including flyovers etc, Rs 1.50 cr and Rs 1.0 cr for landscaping/development of lawns, walking spaces, pavements and plantation at Government Medical College (GMC) and Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura respectively.
Further, Rs 4 crore will kept for earthen shoulders along the urban roads. While Rs 2 crore were also earmarked for implementation of Mission Life Actions. For providing briquetting Assembly for management of Horticulture waste Rs 1 crore has been kept. Similarly, Rs 3.50 crore were kept for construction of water fountains in different parts of the City including Eidgah and along Sakidafar-Aali Masjid Road Axis under NCAP to reduce the air pollution in the area. Likewise, Rs 2.50 crore were also earmarked for IEC related activities under NCAP to promote awareness regarding air pollution and measures to attain a better Air Quality Index in the years ahead.
On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner asked all line Departments to take proactive actions in implementation of the Action Plans for achieving the desired results under NCAP. The district administration urged the officers to lay special thrust on all parameters of NCAP and work in unison besides ensuring active involvement of the masses in the awareness campaign on mass scale to sensitize the people about ill effects of air pollution and effective Action Plan to control and abatement of air pollution. Besides Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Athar Amir Khan; Regional Director, Pollution Control Board, Kashmir, Rafi Ahmad Bhat and Chief Planning Officer, Mohammad Yaseen Lone, the meeting was also attended by Secretary SDA, Chief Agriculture Officer, DFO Urban, Chief Sanitation Officer, DFO City Forests, Executive Engineer R&B, Executive Engineer, SMC, District Floriculture Officer, District Officer Pollution Control Board, and other engineers & officers from SMC, FCS&CA, RTO, Traffic Police.