New Delhi: In a sweeping push to curb one of the Capital’s most stubborn pollution sources, road dust, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced a citywide acceleration of wall-to-wall road construction. During an extensive review of civic projects in Shalimar Bagh, the Chief Minister said her government is determined to deliver on a dust-free Delhi while ensuring that citizens become equal partners in the mission.
Reiterating her administration’s priorities, the Chief Minister said, “Construction of wall-to-wall roads is underway, funds released to MLAs,” adding that “Eliminating dust in the Capital is our government’s priority.” Stressing that long-term pollution reduction requires collective effort, she also remarked, “Citizens’ participation is essential for long-term pollution control.”
According to the Chief Minister, the government has released “several crores of rupees” to MLAs so that construction and repair work can proceed without delay. She emphasised that road dust remains one of the most persistent contributors to Delhi’s poor air quality, and building wall-to-wall roads is proving to be an effective tool in controlling particulate matter at the source.
During her visit to the Shalimar Bagh Assembly Constituency, Gupta inaugurated and reviewed a series of civic upgrades, including drain and sewer installations, high-mast lights, park redevelopment, lane construction, and improvement of other local amenities. She directed MLAs and officials to ensure that all new works strictly adhere to the wall-to-wall model and assured that any additional funds needed would be released immediately. The Chief Minister also criticised earlier governments, asserting that they failed to prepare a structured pollution-control roadmap. She said past administrations “neither ensured proper road width nor took dust control seriously,” claiming their approach was limited to slogans and advertisements, leading to the current challenges Delhi faces. Highlighting smaller but impactful interventions, Gupta said the government has begun supplying electric heaters to night-patrolling guards to discourage wood and waste burning. She added that electric or gas-powered irons are also being distributed to ironing workers to curb open-fire heating.