The Chief Minister informed that a strong rapid response system has been developed under the SOP, enabling citizens to register complaints through a toll-free helpline, an online portal, and offline modes.
The Delhi government plans to combine transport reforms, ecological restoration and urban management measures such as road greening and misting systems to address the capital’s worsening air quality.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta discusses electric mobility plans, women’s safety initiatives, healthcare upgrades and the challenges of managing pollution and rapid population growth in the national capital.
Apart from several other suggestions, the expert panel drawn from top-notch think tanks, suggested congestion pricing to be introduced in Delhi to mitigate pollution and vehicular congestion at the same time.
The CAQM, in view of the forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made available by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), respectively, has taken a call on the preventive, restrictive measures under stage II of GRAP, invoked in the entire NCR on October 19 last year.
Delhi’s air pollution is no longer a temporary crisis. It has become a regular and predictable condition. What should have triggered sustained alarm has instead settled into what The Statesman aptly described as “choking normality”, where citizens adjust their lives while authorities attempt to manage the problem without much success.
The national capital witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) falling into the ‘poor’ category and averaging 292, according to official data.
The Delhi High Court questioned the 18 per cent GST on air purifiers amid ‘very poor’ AQI, saying tax relief is the minimum authorities can offer during a pollution emergency.
Delhi’s air quality worsened sharply on Tuesday as AQI crossed 400, with dense smog, fog and calm winds pushing pollution levels into the severe category.
As air quality worsens, the Centre outlines measures including fuel transition, dust control, industrial monitoring and GRAP enforcement to tackle pollution across Delhi-NCR.
