Promoting electric vehicles and increasing public transport, besides undertaking plantation drives and scientific set-ups to monitor air and dispose of e-waste, are among the government’s key agendas to combat air pollution, chief minister Rekha Gupta said in her concluding remarks in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday.
She said there will be 11,000 buses on Delhi roads by 2026, seven million saplings planted this year, six air quality monitoring stations set up, 1,000 year-round water sprinklers installed and a new eco-park set up to dispose of e-waste scientifically, concluding a discussion on the CAG report on pollution tabled in the House a day before.
“Currently, 6,484 buses operate in Delhi, whereas 11,000 are required. The Supreme Court has also emphasised the necessity of strengthening public transportation. The government remains committed to fulfilling this objective to ensure accessible, environmentally friendly public transport. Additionally, legal measures will be taken to recover shares of the DIMTS that were previously sold for a nominal sum of ₹10 crore,” she said, highlighting shortcomings in the CAG report.
Emphasising the expansion of EV infrastructure, she said setting up charging stations and depots for electric buses was a priority. “Currently, Delhi has 77 operational depots, which will be upgraded as the number of buses increases. The target is to establish 18,000 public charging points and 30,000 private and semi-private charging points by 2026. The goal is to support Delhi’s electric vehicle ecosystem,” she said, adding strict measures are being implemented to check the use of older vehicles on roads.
“Furthermore, 500 new cameras will be installed at major traffic junctions under public-private partnership (PPP) model to identify vehicles with expired registrations and track those emitting excessive pollution. They will also facilitate traffic congestion monitoring to reduce pollution caused by vehicular idling,” the CM said.
She said that interstate bus terminals that were currently polluting high-density areas would be relocated to the outskirts of the city to alleviate congestion and improve air quality.
Rapping the previous regime to rein in dust pollution she said: “Air pollution is not solely caused by vehicular emissions; dust particles also play a significant role… (previous government’s) myopic approach, which only addressed pollution during winter months, ignored the fact that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains concerning year-round.”
Gupta said that besides procuring new water sprinklers and machinery, such as mechanised sweepers and anti-smog guns, the Delhi government will also establish an integrated command and control centre to oversee air quality, waste management, and sanitation.
“Through these initiatives, the government aims to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environment for future generations. The previous government merely announced plans to address the three major landfill sites in Delhi but failed to take substantive action. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, 80% of the funding for eliminating these landfill sites was provided by the central government, yet no concrete measures were implemented,” the CM said, adding that waste management should extend beyond mere disposal and include efforts to convert waste into energy.
On plantation drives, she said: “In the past, afforestation efforts remained largely theoretical, with plantations existing only on paper… This year, the government will plant 70 lakh new trees across Delhi. School students, educational institutions, social organisations, and local committees will be actively engaged in the afforestation campaign. A new initiative, Paryavaran Rakshak, will be introduced to train and motivate citizens to contribute to environmental protection.”
The AAP did not respond to requests for comment.
