Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has personally taken charge of addressing the challenges Delhi residents face due to air pollution caused by road dust and damaged roads. Identifying a lack of coordination among various departments as a primary hurdle, the Chief Minister convened a joint meeting on Thursday to establish a quality standard framework for road redevelopment.

The marathon meeting took place at the Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium in the Civic Centre.

Key Objectives

The primary goal of the meeting was to create an integrated framework ensuring better coordination among all agencies regarding:

  • Road construction and beautification.
  • Development of green belts.
  • Drainage systems.
  • Management and maintenance of public amenities.

Participants

The meeting saw high-level participation from various sectors:

Government Officials: Senior officials from PWD, MCD, NDMC, DDA, Delhi Jal Board and Traffic Police.

Subject Matter Experts: Representatives from CAQM, CSIR, and the School of Planning and Architecture, who presented detailed facts on infrastructure, traffic management, urban design, and public facilities.

Key Political Figures: Cabinet Ministers Pravesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravindra Indraj Singh, Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh.

The Chief Minister’s Directives

Chief Minister Gupta delivered a clear message that the government prioritises action and results over "blame games." She highlighted the following key points:

Budget Availability: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allocated a sufficient budget for development works, ensuring no shortage of funds.

Accountability: Issues regarding drains, water drainage, roads, and footpaths can only be resolved when officials understand and accept their responsibilities.

Proven Success: Citing the Minto Bridge and RK Puram underpass as examples, she noted that complex issues were resolved quickly through effective departmental coordination.

Specific Environmental Measures: The Chief Minister emphasized a shift toward sustainable urban management, mandating:

  • Strict waste management and prevention of open rubbish burning.
  • Installation of new biogas and green waste plants.
  • Ensuring wet waste management.
  • Mandating that new buildings be zero-waste, green, and self-sufficient.
  • Implementation of water harvesting, misting systems, and anti-smog guns.

Ministerial Statements

Minister Pravesh Verma noted that delays often occur due to ambiguity in assigning departmental responsibility and third-party interventions. He urged officials to rise above personal and departmental interests, working with integrity to make Delhi clean and beautiful.

Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa identified road dust as a major pollution source. He affirmed that controlling this is a top priority and that road dust is being removed on a large scale under the Winter Action Plan.

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