New Delhi, July 15 (UNI) Allowing employees to work from home while connected virtually, dense plantation in corporate premises, stopping use of coal and firewood in hotels, increase in parking fee in the commercial areas and finding substitute for crop burning are among the specific measures recommended by a latest ASSOCHAM-EY Report.
The Air Quality Report is a major initiative of ASSOCHAM, Reckitt Benckiser and EY along with AMESA, Health to face the challenge of different hygiene issues, including air pollution. The Hygiene Index(HI) launched in October 2016 , running programmes up to September, 2019 found in its latest report that the Pune Municipal Corporation and the New Delhi Municipal Council were identified as highest performing cities in HI evaluation.
On the other hand, Bhubaneshwar and Aligarh were the lowest -performing cities according to the HI.
Specific to the issue of deteriorating air quality, the report suggested several recommendations for city officials, corporate and individual citizens. It said civic officials should "enforce pollution norms and stop use of coal and firewood in hotels and the trucks registered after 2005 should be diverted away from the city; construction material should be stored in a designated area rather than on roads and increase parting fee".
It said, offices both in the private and public sector should "move towards the trend of working from home while being virtually connected".
To discourage private vehicles on the road, the Air Quality Report suggested that the local and state governments should increase bus/metro services while reducing their fares.
Stressing for regulating urban concretization, the report said the urban trees and forests are much threatened by increasing concrete. "Industries should be mandated to plant trees in their vicinity".
ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said, his chamber is committed towards partnership with RB and other partners to have initiatives for fighting air pollution across different cities.
As partner in the Initiative, Executive President of the Jagran Prakashan, Mr Sameer Gupta said, "Air pollution is a national problem that is killing 1.2 million Indians every year; the problem is no longer restricted to big metros but across the country".
EY Partner Pinakiranjan Mishra said, "Air pollution is a complex issue, requiring an array of solutions" while AMESA Health Senior V-P Mr Gaurav Jain said their efforts to educate farmers in Punjab to reduce stubble burning have been gaining momentum.
UNI DJK ADG 1523