New Delhi: As Delhi’s air quality continues to worsen, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday convened a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat and announced a series of urgent measures to tackle pollution across the capital. She said that controlling pollution remains the government’s “top priority” and warned that “any negligence in pollution control efforts will not be tolerated.”
The Chief Minister said multiple teams have been deployed to take stringent action against industrial units and vehicles responsible for emissions. “Special teams are being formed to ensure that polluting units are shut down and vehicles violating norms are seized,” she said, adding that these teams will submit daily reports to her and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Gupta said additional enforcement teams have also been tasked with curbing garbage burning incidents across Delhi. “Those found burning waste will face fines and legal action under existing rules,” she said, while instructing departments to identify and eliminate pollution hotspots through coordinated efforts.
To bring immediate relief, the Chief Minister directed that continuous water sprinkling and mechanical dust control be carried out in all critical zones. “The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been instructed to ensure regular cleaning of roads, lanes, markets, and colonies, and to remove any accumulated waste without delay,” she said. Officials from the PWD, Environment, Development, and Social Welfare departments, along with Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and MCD representatives, attended the meeting.
Gupta said her government is “consistently preparing for the coming winter months,” and hinted that if pollution levels worsen, the government may “consider providing heaters to night-duty security personnel in colonies and marketplaces.”
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was present at the meeting, said all departments and agencies are working in coordination to reduce pollution levels. “We are taking every possible step to curb pollution, and the situation will improve in the coming days,” he said. Sirsa also directed civic agencies to double the deployment of water sprinklers and focus on dust control. “Pollution control is our government’s top priority, and no carelessness in this matter will be tolerated,” he added.
With pollution levels hovering around the “severe” mark, the Delhi government’s latest crackdown signals a renewed urgency to safeguard public health and restore air quality in the capital.