DSIIDC to spend Rs 4.2 crore on electric heaters to curb open burning

The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC), a Delhi government undertaking, earmarked nearly Rs 4.2 crore on Friday to acquire electric heaters in an effort to curb winter pollution caused by open biomass burning in the capital.

The funds, allocated under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, will be used to purchase more than 3,000 heaters for workers across the city, including members of Resident Welfare Associations, forest guards, and unorganised industrial labourers who often rely on open burning to keep warm.

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Calling it a landmark moment for Delhi, Environment and Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “This campaign is about stopping open fires and it is about supporting every citizen in Delhi through effective leadership and compassion.”

The initiative was highlighted during a virtual high-level meeting, where senior officials from DSIIDC, the Environment Department, and DPCC joined hands to chart a robust and transparent mechanism for assessing and addressing the needs of RWAs across Delhi.

Independent studies by experts from IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) have identified biomass burning — including the local burning of wood, coal, and roadside trash for heating or cooking — as a major contributor to winter haze episodes. According to a real-time source apportionment study by DPCC and IIT Kanpur, biomass burning accounted for nearly 24 percent of pollution between November 2022 and January 29, 2023.

In August last year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) advised Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and other housing societies in Delhi to provide heaters or other suitable devices to guards and service staff to discourage them from burning wood and coal for warmth during winter.

Despite the advisory, only a little over 350 RWAs had provided heaters to their staff out of more than 2,000 registered and unregistered associations, according to data from the former Environment Department as of November 14 last year.