Chandigarh, Nov 26 (PTI) A committee led by Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi has approved the draft Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development (HCAPSD).
Funded by the World Bank, the ambitious initiative aims to combat air pollution and promote sustainable development across Haryana.
The project is set for implementation over six years (2024-25 to “2029-30), with Rs 3,600 crore allocated for its first phase, according to an official statement issued here on Tuesday.
The project adopts a phased approach to address emissions across multiple sectors.
In the first phase, Gurugram and Faridabad will be the primary focus areas, targeting institutional strengthening, agriculture and household emissions. Priority clusters across the state will be identified to implement proposed interventions aimed at reducing pollution in agriculture and household sectors, the statement said.
A meeting of the governing committee constituted under the HCAPSD was held here on Tuesday.
At the meeting, Joshi stressed the importance of inter-departmental coordination and timely execution to ensure the project’s success.
The HCAPSD is a significant step towards creating a sustainable future, improving air quality and setting a benchmark for other states to follow, the statement said.
Speaking at the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Wildlife, Anand Mohan Saran, said detailed discussions were held with senior officials from each department during the preparation of the project report.
A series of meetings was held to finalise interventions for the project, along with extensive field visits and stakeholder consultations to identify challenges in implementing the proposed measures across sectors.
The first phase includes strategies to reduce emissions through a combination of policy measures, technological interventions and capacity-building programmes.
The chief secretary emphasised the importance of the initiative in addressing air pollution challenges in the National Capital Region (NCR) while balancing development and environmental conservation.
Key interventions under the project cover several critical areas.
To manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste, the state plans to streamline collection systems, process legacy waste and enhance capacity through training and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Dust emissions will be mitigated through mechanised road sweeping, paving of unpaved roads and increasing the green cover.
In the transport sector, the project will promote the electrification of public buses, incentivise the adoption of electric three-wheelers and expand the charging infrastructure. Efforts will also focus on phasing out old, polluting vehicles through automated testing stations (ATS).
Industries will transition to cleaner fuels, such as PNG and CNG, supported by financial incentives for upgrading boilers. Cleaner technologies, including tunnel kilns for brick manufacturing and common boiler systems for textile clusters, will be piloted. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be supported in installing continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS).
Household emissions will be tackled through awareness campaigns promoting the adoption of clean cooking practices.
Urban emissions in Gurugram and Faridabad will be addressed through a collaboration with road-owning and construction agencies, with measures such as efficient sweeping, road paving and urban greening initiatives.
Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Raja Sekhar Vundru, told the meeting that the government has set a target of achieving zero stubble burning by next year.
The agriculture sector will focus on sustainable stubble-management practices, including in-situ and ex-situ methods, he said. PTI SUN RC
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