Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday mentioned that structuring the city's public transport network is the only long-term solution to reduce air pollution. She accused the previous governments of neglecting metro expansion. She mentioned that her administration is committed to improving connectivity and reducing reliance on private vehicles.
Reliable public transport is key to combating pollution
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday mentioned that only a reliable and convenient public transport system can provide a lasting solution to air pollution. She accused the previous governments of failing to expand the capital’s metro network. CM Rekha Gupta mentioned that her government was determined to fix public transport and is clearing pending liabilities related to metro projects that were left undone by earlier administrations. She mentioned, “If the previous governments had shown greater seriousness towards the capital’s transport system, Delhi would not be facing such severe pollution today.”
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Promises and criticism
CM Rekha Gupta's government aims to make the metro network “so comprehensive that people do not need to rely on private vehicles even for last-mile connectivity”. CM Rekha Gupta said her government will fix public transport and is clearing pending liabilities related to metro projects. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday released a “pollution song” on X, which criticises 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. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva called 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.
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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.
