Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said that air pollution in the national capital was not a problem limited to a few months but it required yearlong efforts to bring it under control.
Addressing the Winter session of the Delhi Assembly over a debate on pollution, she said that pollution levels will go down only after various agencies work in the field throughout the year.
The opposition AAP members, who had been demanding a debate on the issue, were not present in the House.
"Where are the AAP members who wanted a discussion on air pollution? Did they just want to do drama by wearing masks? They only care about getting pictures clicked. Pollution is not a matter of politics for us," she said in a dig at AAP.
She said the Delhi government has given Rs 2,300 crore to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for projects to reduce pollution.
The chief minister listed various initiatives undertaken by her government in its 10 months in power, including notifying the ridge area as a forest and the expansion of the e-bus fleet for public transportation.
"The problem of pollution is not limited to two to three months of winter. We need to work for 12 months for pollution control," she stated.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, while initiating the debate, outlined the national capital's air pollution crisis, blaming the previous AAP government for what he termed a failure to curb deteriorating air quality. He detailed the present government's action plan.
Tracing the issue to landmark interventions such as the MC Mehta vs Union of India case and Supreme Court orders on CNG adoption, industrial relocation and emission norms, Sirsa said Delhi's air quality "deteriorated sharply after 2014".
"Between 2014 and 2025, agencies like WHO and IQAir repeatedly ranked Delhi as the world's most polluted capital, clearly exposing the failure of the previous government," he said.
He cited observations by the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and the National Green Tribunal, which had described Delhi as a "gas chamber" and "unlivable", adding that "no serious corrective measures were taken despite these warnings".
Referring to CAG reports, Sirsa said the odd-even scheme failed to deliver results, the PUC system remained weak and air quality monitoring stations were not installed according to norms.
"Public money was spent heavily on publicity for campaigns like odd-even and a single smog tower, with negligible impact on ground-level pollution," Sirsa said.
The minister said Gupta-led government shifted to action mode immediately after assuming office.
"Large-scale biomining is underway at the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfills, with thousands of tonnes of legacy waste being removed monthly. Around 45 acres of land have already been reclaimed and special financial assistance has been provided to the MCD," the environment minister said.
On dust control, Sirsa said end-to-end road carpeting, anti-smog guns, water sprinklers and mechanical sweepers have been deployed, while construction and industrial sites face strict action for violations.
"By 2026, over 7,500 electric buses will be operational," Sirsa said.
Addressing vehicular pollution, he said the 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy will remain in force throughout the year. Fake PUC centres have been shut down, he added.
The Winter session of the Delhi Assembly was adjourned sine die by Speaker Vijender Gupta after the debate on pollution concluded with the chief minister's remarks.