Manjinder Singh Sirsa (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday announced that his government is planning to launch its own carpooling app to curb rising vehicular pollution in the national capital.Addressing a press conference, the BJP leader said, “Delhi government plans to launch its own carpooling app to curb vehicular pollution.” He added that the government is hiring a third-party agency to collect data on potholes and will bring in a third-party monitoring system to overhaul the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) system.
The minister also announced a Rs 2,700-crore allocation over 10 years to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the procurement of mechanical road sweepers and litter pickers, aiming to improve cleanliness and reduce dust-related pollution. Sirsa outlined additional measures to tackle the worsening air quality.“A major survey is underway in Delhi. We are conducting this survey through all the District Magistrates, targeting illegal industries… We are also in touch with neighboring states… We are ensuring that the AQI (Air Quality Index) of the neighboring states also comes down to reduce pollution. We have already distributed 10,000 electric heaters to prevent biomass burning,” he said. Commenting on the rising pollution levels in the national capital, he said: “Pollution in Delhi is at a serious level. Under the leadership of the honorable chief minister Smt. Rekha Gupta ji, our government is taking strict and necessary steps to prevent pollution. From tomorrow, vehicles without PUCC will not receive fuel. Only vehicles using clean fuel and BS-VI standards coming from outside Delhi will be allowed to enter the capital.” “There will be a complete ban on vehicles carrying construction materials, and strict action will be taken for violations. 50% work-from-home will remain in effect. Assistance of Rs 10,000 will be provided to laborers affected by the construction shutdown. I appeal to my people to follow the rules. Only by working together can the government and the public make Delhi clean and pollution-free,” he added. He also stressed the urgency of compliance, adding, “The pollution level in Delhi is very high. The next few days are not expected to be much better compared to last year’s figures, so we are making every effort to improve the situation.””Starting tomorrow, I appeal to the people of Delhi to get their PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates. They will not get fuel without a PUC certificate. Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned… I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards.”
Air quality and travel disruptions
Dense smog continued to blanket the national capital on Wednesday, sharply reducing visibility and keeping the AQI in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range. Delhi’s overall AQI stood near 350, a marginal improvement from the day before, though 11 of the city’s 40 monitoring stations, including Jahangirpuri, Mundka, and Wazirpur, recorded ‘severe’ levels.Poor visibility also disrupted air travel, with 10 flights from Delhi airport cancelled and advisories issued by IndiGo and IGI Airport for delays and adjustments. Authorities warned that fog could slow road traffic to airports, affecting commute times.The government’s decision to bar non-BS VI vehicles from entering Delhi from Thursday has raised concerns among commuters from neighbouring cities, including Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad, where lakhs of vehicles may be affected. Traffic police teams have been deployed to enforce the restrictions, with fines and vehicle seizure for violators. Officials defended the move, citing compliance with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to reduce emissions during severe pollution episodes.Sirsa had earlier acknowledged that reducing Delhi’s AQI in a short time is unrealistic, saying, “It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9-10 months. I apologise for the pollution in Delhi. We are doing better work than the dishonest AAP government, and we have reduced AQI each day. This disease of pollution is given to us by the Aam Aadmi Party, and we are working to fix it.”Authorities have urged residents to limit outdoor activity, use public transport where possible and comply with the government’s directives, as air quality is expected to remain hazardous for the coming days. Go to Source
