NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led a cleaning and washing drive on the Ring Road at Khyber Pass Chowk in Civil Lines, personally participating in sweeping and water-sprinkling operations on Saturday amid rising pollution concerns.
“This campaign is a significant step towards making Delhi pollution-free and ensuring effective dust control. Regular road washing, mechanical sweeping, and on-ground monitoring across the city are being undertaken with great speed and seriousness. For the first time in Delhi’s history, a washing campaign has been carried out across the entire Ring Road,” the CM said.
The Chief Minister added that dust is a major contributor to pollution, and to address this permanently, roads are being constructed wall-to-wall. She alleged that previous governments neither took interest in road construction nor ensured that roads were built wall-to-wall, resulting in dust being blown across Delhi throughout the year. Her government, she said, has now ensured a permanent solution.
The Chief Minister further informed that elected representatives are being allocated adequate budgets to construct strong and dust-resistant roads. Each MLA is being allocated Rs 10 crore for such works in their constituencies, she said.
She added that the Delhi government is also working to curb the use of coal and wood in the open, alongside long-term pollution control. For this purpose, the government has started distributing electric heaters to security guards and electric irons to people who iron clothes, helping them shift away from traditional fuels. She appealed to citizens and companies to contribute through CSR funds to support these cleaner alternatives.
Sharing details of ongoing pollution-control efforts, the Chief Minister said the government is rapidly moving towards fully transitioning public transport to electric vehicles (EVs).