Amid rising pollution levels in the national capital, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has taken an important step by directing the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to conduct a survey across slums and JJ clusters to identify families still using conventional wood-fired stoves or traditional braziers.
According to the Chief Minister, such families will be provided LPG connections and cleaner cooking options under the Ujjwala Scheme so that they no longer have to rely on older, polluting cooking methods. This initiative aims to help residents while also reducing air pollution.
Gupta said that her government is working on a war footing to tackle pollution in the city, with teams on the ground taking action against various sources of pollution. Continuous efforts are also underway to reduce pollution levels at identified hotspots.
The Chief Minister emphasized that families still using conventional cooking methods will be prioritized for LPG connections under the Ujjwala Scheme, freeing them from dependence on wood, coal, or other polluting fuels.
She stressed the need to address pollution sources such as biomass burning and the use of traditional fuels, alongside measures targeting industrial and vehicular emissions.
“The smoke generated from conventional cooking and heating methods not only adds to air pollution but also poses serious health risks to residents,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the government is committed to ensuring that even poor families have access to clean fuel.
Meanwhile, Gupta informed that teams are actively working on the ground to control dust and other pollutants. Maintenance vans have been deployed to clean and repair roads, while officials have been instructed to monitor the situation regularly and carry out cleaning operations, including water sprinkling and the use of smog guns to reduce airborne particles.