Why in news?
EPCA asked Delhi and NCR states to step up surveillance and enforcement to check local sources of pollution in view of a predicted dip in air quality.
About EPCA:
- EPCA is Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).
- It was notified in 1998 by the Environment Ministry under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
- Its mandate is to protect and improve the quality of the environment and prevent and control environmental pollution in the NCR.
- It is also mandated to enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in NCR that defines specific measures to tackle different levels of air pollution throughout the year.
- It has 14 members including environment secretary of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, transport commissioner of the NCT, the commissioners of various municipal corporations of Delhi and professors at IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
