New Delhi: ‘Use drones to zero in on polluters’

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has asked Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and other agencies to use drones to capture instances of waste burning and polluting industries in Delhi.
At a meeting on Monday, the agencies said drones could be used at a couple of spots on a trial basis to see its effectiveness before it could be used widely.
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“Can we use drones at the identified pollution hotspots? This will help us easily determine where garbage is being burnt and instances where pitch-black smoke comes out of industries,” said Sunita Narain, member, EPCA.
DPCC officials, however, told EPCA that while a proposal to the Union ministry of home affairs was sent earlier, they were yet to receive the clearance.
“We can certainly try again as the majority of these places fall on the outskirts of Delhi. We have tested drones in the past and the images are quite clear. This can be an effective way of catching violators,” said DPCC member secretary Arun Mishra.
DPCC has tested the technology of 3-4 startups that have drones along the Yamuna, Mishra said. “One of the companies will be chosen and a fresh request will be made to the MHA to carry out the pilot project,” he added.
Earlier this year, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) along with DPCC had carried out a drone survey to identify dumping of waste, industrial effluent and hazardous waste flowing into drains and waterbodies. A meeting on the matter was held with senior officials of DSIIDC, CPCB and DPCC. DSIIDC had decided to make use of the technology to identify the industries that were not connected to one of the 13 common effluent treatment plants in the city.