Air pollution a legacy problem we inherited, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Calling the national capital's air pollution woes a legacy problem, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday assured that her government has been actively working for the past 10 months to address these issues.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gupta highlighted that issues like pollution, garbage mountains, and broken roads were legacy issues and her government is working to tackle them through sustained efforts.

She also referred to the clean-up of the Yamuna river as a "big project", stating that her administration is working daily to rejuvenate it.

The rapid population growth in Delhi and the exponential increase in vehicles have contributed to rising pollution levels, Gupta pointed out, adding that several factors, including dust, vehicular emissions, and open burning, contribute to the pollution crisis.

"It also matters what steps were taken by the previous government. Our government has taken all the steps needed to tackle pollution, which were not taken by the previous governments," she said.

The BJP government has taken various steps, including dust mitigation through the use of mist technology, providing cooking gas connections in the slums and heaters to security guards to prevent open burning, strengthening public transport with electric buses, to address the problem of pollution, Gupta said.

She asserted that solving these problems requires cooperation from everyone, stating that strict measures alone would not be effective. She noted that despite a ban on firecrackers during Diwali this year, the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained at similar levels to the previous year.

She rejected allegations from opposition parties claiming that the air quality monitoring stations in the city were tampered with to report lower AQI values.

The Delhi government is also working regularly to remove pollution and froth in the Yamuna river by tapping the municipal drains and construction and upgradation of sewage treatment plants, the chief minister said.

Gupta also rubbished accusations from AAP leaders that a "pond" was created at Vasudev Ghat during the Chhath festival to showcase clean water in the Yamuna.

"We were working for the devotees and prepared ghats at 1350 places, including along the Yamuna. I ignored the opposition's allegations," she said.

She explained that a water channel was formed due to floodplain mud, which AAP leaders labelled as a "fake" Yamuna. "People were thrilled to celebrate Chhath in Delhi after many years, and we received their affection and blessings from Bihar as well," Gupta added.