Delhi leaders order weekly pollution checks
Delhi's lieutenant governor and chief minister have reviewed winter air pollution plans, ordering weekly meetings and assigning 13 senior officers to
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed Delhi's air pollution control strategy on Wednesday ahead of the winter season. They directed city departments to strengthen monitoring and ensure greater accountability in implementing measures.
The meeting, which included senior officials and ministers, focused on pollution from road dust, construction waste, vehicles, industry, and open burning. Sandhu and Gupta ordered weekly meetings among cross-functional teams to review the measures. They also mandated the appointment of nodal officers for each of Delhi's 47 identified pollution hot spots.
"Regular interaction with the public and within departments is essential for effective implementation of pollution mitigation measures," LG Sandhu said, according to the Hindustan Times report.
Oversight for pollution hot spots
Thirteen senior officers at the rank of additional chief secretary, principal secretary, and secretary have been assigned to oversee the 47 hot spots. A comprehensive mitigation plan is being implemented within a three-kilometer radius of each location.
Regarding road dust, the leaders directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to immediately take remedial measures at its construction sites to minimize dust generation. Officials reported that bitumen-based and cement-based road repairs have been expedited after delays caused by limited material availability linked to the West Asia situation.
Traffic and dust control measures
Road-owning agencies were told to prioritize stretches where residents face dust-related problems. Mechanized sweeping, sprinkling, pothole repairs, and road restoration are to be monitored daily under a standard operating procedure.
The traffic police were directed to reassess 62 identified traffic choke points and coordinate with other agencies for remedial measures. The lieutenant governor called for reducing congestion and vehicle idling through improved signal management, removal of encroachments, junction improvements, parking management, and faster incident response.
Push for cleaner vehicles and industry
The government discussed an accelerated shift to electric vehicles across two-wheeler, three-wheeler, light motor vehicle, and medium motor vehicle segments. Plans for early development of adequate charging infrastructure were also reviewed.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee was directed to ensure that pollution-control devices and online continuous emission monitoring systems result in actual emission reductions. The committee must submit weekly compliance and non-compliance reports.
"Pollution mitigation measures must be monitored in a measurable and time-bound manner," Chief Minister Gupta said.
The lieutenant governor directed the environment secretary to submit a fortnightly, quantifiable progress report in tabular form through the chief secretary to his office and the office of the chief minister.
