The Delhi government is setting up a new committee. It’s high-level. It’s going to be led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta herself. Scientists and experts are on the panel, too. The message? They are treating this as an emergency mission.
Zero Negligence, Zero Tolerance
The most immediate change? The threats of serious action against polluters. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa came out after the meeting with the CM and made a clear point: zero negligence is allowed from key departments like DDA, MCD, and DMRC.
Here’s where it gets serious:
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Road Cutting: No unauthorised road cutting will be permitted anywhere. If it happens? An FIR will be filed. Not just a fine, but a criminal complaint. And action will be taken directly against the AE (Assistant Engineer) and JE (Junior Engineer) of that area. That’s holding the line officers accountable, or nothing.
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Construction Debris: If construction debris is found lying openly on roads, the DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) will take action. They’ve been told to issue challans and heavy penalties against government bodies themselves for lapses in cleanliness standards.
The Action Plan: Water, Potholes, and Vehicles
Sirsa also confirmed key decisions finalized after a separate meeting with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Coordination between the Centre and the state—that’s often the biggest struggle.
Jotting down the immediate field directives:
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Dust Control: Water sprinkling will now happen on roads across all nearby state corporations, not just Delhi. It’s about reducing dust levels from the entire NCR.
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Potholes: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has a 72-hour deadline to identify and repair all potholes in the city. Potholes turn into dust bowls; fixing them is a simple, direct win.
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Greening: Local bodies are directed to step up green plantation drives, pulling in citizens to help.
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Vehicular Emissions: Strict action is planned against any vehicle not meeting BS-IV emission standards.
The message is clear: Delhi is trying to accelerate field action. The committee is set up, the FIR threat is in place. But the city’s air quality is still ongoing, and we have to see if these threats translate into cleaner air.
