CM pitches reliable public transport as solution to pollution

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said only a reliable and convenient public transport system can offer a lasting solution to air pollution and accused the previous governments of failing to expand the Capital’s metro network.

Ms. Gupta said her government was determined to fix public transport and is clearing pending liabilities related to metro projects that were left unpaid by earlier administrations. “If the previous governments had shown greater seriousness towards the Capital’s transport system, Delhi would not be facing such severe pollution today,” Ms. Gupta said. 

Emphasising the need to reduce dependence on private vehicles, Ms. Gupta said the government aims to make the metro network “so comprehensive that people do not need to rely on private vehicles even for last-mile connectivity”.

 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday released a ‘pollution song’ on X which attacks the government for its “failures” in controlling air pollution.

“Even Superman, Spiderman, Batman and Santa Claus, who came to visit Delhi, were shocked by the severe pollution. Seeing the government’s deception, they could not remain silent,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.

‘Inappropriate remark’

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva termed Mr. Bharadwaj’s words “inappropriate” and aimed at trivialising a serious issue. He alleged that the people are suffering today due to the “negligence” of AAP.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 377 (‘very poor’) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, down from 398 a day earlier, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin.

The air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category from Monday to Wednesday, with the outlook for the subsequent six days indicating ‘very poor to severe’ conditions.