New Delhi: Amid Delhi’s fight against pollution, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday that the government is tackling the inherited problems as challenges and steadfastly resolving them on every front.
“Delhi is now receiving clear plans, continuous efforts, and concrete results. Our government is committed to building a non-stop developing Delhi, a clean and beautiful Delhi,” said CM Gupta in a video message posted on X.
She said the BJP government is tackling the problems inherited from the previous governments, which failed to address the challenges.
The Chief Minister’s comment came a day after she chaired a review meeting and reiterated that the government will follow a zero-tolerance policy against all sources contributing to pollution.
Key decisions taken during the meeting on Monday included: Strict enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms without any waiver of challans; exploring pooled and shared electric bus services in Delhi-NCR; issuing new guidelines for e-rickshaws and rationalising Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus routes.
Senior officials from the Environment and Transport Departments, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Traffic Police, along with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, were present at the meeting.
The Chief Minister took a strict view of vehicles operating without valid PUC certificates. Under existing provisions, polluting vehicles attract a penalty of Rs 10,000. It was observed that in several cases, vehicle owners approach Lok Adalats to get these fines reduced, which weakens the deterrent effect.
The Chief Minister made it clear that henceforth no pollution challan will be waived under any circumstances.
She directed officials to pursue all necessary legal options, including approaching courts if required. She emphasised that the government’s objective is not revenue generation but ensuring clean and healthy air for citizens.
To promote pollution-free mobility through private sector participation, the Delhi Government will soon initiate discussions with companies such as Ola and Uber, she said.
The proposal aims to explore the operation of pooled and shared electric or non-polluting buses in the Delhi–NCR region.
Such initiatives are expected to reduce dependence on private vehicles and strengthen environmentally friendly public transport. The Chief Minister stated that achieving zero emissions in the capital remains a key priority of the government.
Unregulated movement of e-rickshaws has emerged as a major cause of traffic congestion, leading to higher fuel consumption and increased pollution. To address this issue, the Delhi Government will soon issue comprehensive new guidelines for e-rickshaws. These guidelines will regulate their operational areas and routes to ensure smoother traffic flow and better road management.
(IANS)
