NEW DELHI, Oct 13: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday reviewed measures to curb air pollution in the national capital at the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s Integrated Command and Control Centre.
The two leaders also virtually inaugurated 13 air quality monitoring stations to strengthen pollution surveillance across the city.
During the review, Yadav highlighted the Delhi government’s 11-point action plan to address air pollution and emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts by various departments and agencies.
Citing Anand Vihar, one of Delhi’s major pollution hotspots, the Union minister said the Air Quality Index (AQI) had declined from 430 on August 30 to 92. He attributed the improvement to joint efforts by the Delhi government, traffic police, Public Works Department and other agencies.
Yadav said the administration was working to strengthen public transport and promote cleaner mobility as part of its broader strategy to improve air quality.
According to him, the combined fleet of electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses had increased to more than 5,500. Charging infrastructure had also been established to support the operation of electric buses.
The minister stressed that sustained monitoring and cooperation among government departments were necessary to address pollution sources across the capital.
He said the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board would continue tracking pollution hotspots and assessing the effectiveness of measures taken to improve air quality.
Yadav also appealed to residents to contribute to pollution control efforts, describing clean air as a shared responsibility that requires public participation alongside government action.
The inauguration of the 13 monitoring stations is expected to strengthen the collection of air quality data and help authorities assess pollution levels at different locations. Such monitoring can assist officials in identifying problem areas and determining where corrective measures may be required.
The review comes amid continuing efforts by authorities to tackle Delhi’s air pollution through transport improvements, inter-agency coordination and monitoring of localised hotspots.
Later, responding to questions about the INDIA bloc’s protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Yadav said the exercise was an ongoing process conducted by the Election Commission under established guidelines.
He accused opposition parties of selectively objecting to the exercise depending on their perceived electoral interests and maintained that the process was not new.
Gupta also criticised opposition leaders over the demonstrations, alleging that their actions were motivated by political ambitions and disregarded the interests of party workers, members of the public and police personnel.
“These people who call themselves the so-called opposition are so consumed by their political ambitions that they care about no one,” she said.
The chief minister further accused opposition parties of attempting to undermine established systems for political gain and misleading the public. She said people across the country were observing their conduct.
The remarks on electoral revision came separately from the discussions on pollution control, which focused on strengthening monitoring systems, improving public transport and coordinating action against sources of poor air quality.