New Delhi: As air quality remains a persistent challenge for the national capital, the Delhi government has rolled out a sweeping, multi-year action plan aimed at delivering measurable reductions in pollution, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta asserting that the fight against dirty air is being waged “12 months a year, seven days a week.”
Chairing a high-level review meeting on air pollution control at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday, Gupta said, “The Delhi government is working year-round to effectively control pollution in Delhi-NCR. This is a long fight, and therefore all agencies are working with a comprehensive strategy.” She added that both short-term and long-term measures are already under implementation.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma, and senior officials from multiple departments including the DDA, PWD, Delhi Traffic Police, MCD, Transport, Environment and Industries.
Emphasising Centre-state coordination, the Chief Minister said, “We are continuously receiving guidance and support from the Prime Minister and the Central government. There are neither procedural hurdles nor budgetary constraints in this fight against pollution.” She noted that a time-bound and outcome-oriented roadmap has been prepared to significantly reduce PM 2.5 levels over the next four years.
Public transport has been identified as the backbone of the strategy. Delhi plans to scale up its bus fleet to 14,000 by March 2029, including 500 smaller buses to strengthen last-mile connectivity. “These buses will be fully integrated with the Delhi Metro network to ensure deep penetration of public transport,” Gupta said. Pilot integration of e-autos and feeder services at major metro stations is also planned.
Under EV Policy 2.0, the government will focus on two-wheelers and commercial vehicles. Charging and battery-swapping points will be increased fourfold, while incentives will be used to accelerate the transition to cleaner vehicles. To ease traffic emissions, 62 congestion points have been identified, with work already underway at half of them. The Chief Minister also highlighted large-scale road redevelopment worth Rs 6,000 crore, mechanised road sweeping, and advanced dust suppression systems to curb road dust.
Strict timelines have been fixed for clearing legacy waste at Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfills, while over 1,000 polluting industrial units have already been sealed. “We are adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards industrial pollution,” Gupta said.
Green initiatives form another pillar, with plans to plant 3.5 million saplings and rejuvenate the Delhi Ridge. The government will also deploy ANPR systems at city entry points to identify polluting vehicles. Concluding, Gupta stressed that technology alone is not enough. “Public participation and behavioural change are essential to make Delhi’s clean air roadmap successful,” she said.