Make immediate payment of Rs 2 cr to IIT Kanpur to continue with Source Apportionment Study: Gopal Rai on Delhi pollution

New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has proposed suspension and disciplinary action against Ashwani Kumar, chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for not implementing the decision of the Council of Ministers and arbitrarily stopping payment of Rs. 2 crores to IIT Kanpur that brought the Source Apportionment Study to a halt, thereby putting the health of 2 crore residents of Delhi at risk.

He has also asked for the immediate payment of the second instalment to IIT Kanpur so that the Source Apportionment Study can continue through the crucial winter months.

“Any evaluation or assessment of the study will be done by qualified scientists, after the high pollution winter season is over,” Rai said.

This comes after the Delhi government had decided to do a study on 'Real Time Source Apportionment' of Delhi's pollution and engage IIT Kanpur to ensure that at every point there is precise data to indicate the source of the pollution.

“Once the exact source apportionment of the pollution is clear, then policy measures can be taken for each of the sources accordingly,” Rai said in a letter.

Rai noted that one of the reasons why it has been difficult to tackle and reduce pollution in Delhi is because there is inadequate data on the sources of pollution, and the magnitude of each source's contribution to pollution.

Saying that the study would have been a milestone, he added that halting the project by certain officials has put the health of the 2 crore people of Delhi at risk.

Rai said that Kumar's intention to stall this project was clear when on February 9, 2023, the latter had first noted that the cost of study seems to be very high and DPCC may have to ensure that the objectives are met before releasing the next instalment.

“It was not the mandate of Chairman DPCC to question a study that has been initiated after due processes and approval by the entire cabinet; his role was to implement it. Considering that the Council of Ministers had perused the Cabinet note and then approved the proposal for the study, even if Ashwani Kumar had concerns about its efficacy, it was not in his powers to stop the study.,” Rai said.

The Delhi government through a cabinet decision on July 7, 2021, decided to award the project- "Real Time Source Apportionment and Forecasting for Advance Air Pollution Management in Delhi" to the IIT Kanpur-led consortium of organisations which included research institutes such as The Energy Research Institute. (TERI) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), among others.

Rai’s letter read: “Kumar has repeatedly and deliberately stalled the project for no rhyme or reason. Despite repeated reminders for clearing the pending payments, and despite multiple meetings with IIT Kanpur regarding where they have explained their model, he has been raising some objection or the other with the sole purpose of off-tracking and delaying this project which is vital for improving the air quality and for addressing the public health issue posed by air pollution in Delhi.”