PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Principal secretary R K Sudhanshu has instructed officials to strengthen cleanliness on Char Dham Yatra routes and the temporary shelters. He directed identifying areas needing attention and conducting cleaning work through a parallel system with NGO participation, ensuring regular monitoring. He said this while chairing the State Level Air Quality Monitoring Committee meeting under the National Clean Air Programme on Friday.
In the meeting the PS also directed that dustbins be placed in vehicles for garbage collection and said that the pamphlets on ‘Dos and Don’ts’ should be distributed for public awareness and garbage be segregated according to the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2026.
While reviewing the current air pollution situation in Dehradun, Rishikesh and Kashipur, Sudhanshu stressed the necessity for effective coordination among officials to address the issue. He highlighted the need for special efforts to improve the Clean Air Survey ranking and to take appropriate action in accordance with sanitation standards. He suggested that the Ministry of Environment and Forests should work together with the MDDA to ensure proper covering of materials at construction sites and to implement regular water sprinkling to mitigate dust pollution.
During the meeting, member secretary of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, Parag Madhukar Dhakate provided an update on the Clean Air Survey rankings and progress for the financial year 2024-25. He reported that Dehradun has seen a 44.27 per cent improvement in PM 10 levels in 2024-25 compared to 2019-20. Rishikesh has witnessed a 38.2 per cent improvement, while Kashipur has recorded a 26.92 per cent improvement. Instructions were also given to propose the establishment of a construction and demolition (C&D) processing plant in Kashipur.
Secretary C Ravishankar, additional secretary Kalyani, Dehradun municipal commissioner Namami Bansal and other officials were present at the meeting.
