Pollution being tackled as 'emergency' mission: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said that any negligence in pollution control in the national capital will not be tolerated. She stated that her government is treating pollution as an emergency mission and is making determined efforts to bring it under control.

The Chief Minister, on Wednesday, made it clear that government institutions showing laxity in pollution control will not be spared. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been instructed to issue challans and impose heavy penalties on agencies failing to maintain pollution and cleanliness standards. She has also ordered FIRs against departments that conduct unauthorised road-cutting and fail to restore roads properly.

A high-level review meeting on pollution control was held at the Delhi Secretariat under the Chief Minister's chairmanship. Ongoing measures against air pollution were reviewed, and all departments were directed to work on a war footing in the coming days.

The meeting was attended by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma, and senior officials from PWD, MCD, DDA, Environment and Forest, DSIIDC, Delhi Metro, NBCC, Power, and DUSIB. The Chief Minister emphasised that while the long-term fight against pollution will continue, immediate measures must be intensified urgently.

All departments have been directed to identify and fill potholes within 72 hours. Road-maintenance agencies have been instructed to ensure that no road remains broken. The Chief Minister expressed strong displeasure at the irresponsibility of specific departments and directed the DPCC to issue challans against negligent government bodies.

She further said that FIRs must be filed against departments that conduct road-cutting without permission, and that departmental heads will be held accountable. She reiterated that no agency, government or private will be spared. She stressed that pollution must be tackled through joint participation by the government, departments, and the public.

PWD has been directed to repair potholes across its 1,400-kilometre road network on a priority basis and to upload before-and-after photographs on the designated app. DDA has been asked to ensure proper cleanliness on its roads, remove waste from vacant land, and hand over its markets to MCD without delay.

Delhi Metro has been instructed to immediately repair roads beneath its elevated corridors and implement effective dust-control measures. The Chief Minister said that no delay will be accepted and that clean, green, and dust-free roads are the most crucial component of the city's anti-pollution efforts.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the "311 Green App" is being strengthened as the nodal platform for monitoring potholes, brown areas, and dust hotspots through the Green War Room. A comprehensive six-month action plan is being prepared to implement dust-free and green measures in identified brown areas.

He added that strict action will be taken against vehicles that do not meet BS-IV standards. To improve last-mile connectivity and encourage Metro use, e-autos will be prioritised. He said that mist-spray dust mitigation has shown promising results and will now be expanded citywide.

MCD has been directed to make its 8,000-kilometre road network pothole-free and dust-free. One thousand vacuum-based litter pickers and 100 Mechanical Road Sweepers will be deployed within 45 days. Most of Delhi's dump sites are also targeted to be cleared in the coming months.

All construction sites must ensure fencing and comply with pollution-control norms within 48 hours. The Environment Minister emphasised that keeping Delhi clean and pollution-free is a shared responsibility, and that strict action will be taken against any agency or industry that violates the rules.