High-level panel formed to improve air quality: Delhi CM

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday announced the formation of a specialised committee that will work continuously to improve the city’s worsening air quality. She said the Delhi government is treating air pollution as an “emergency mission”.

The committee – comprising senior officials from key government departments, experts from IITs, and environmental scientists – will be granted “special powers” by the government, she said.

Asserting that negligence in reducing pollution will not be tolerated, the Chief Minister said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has been directed to issue challans and impose heavy penalties on public and private agencies that fail to adhere to pollution control and cleanliness norms.

‘Will take strict action’

“FIRs will be lodged against departments and engineers conducting unauthorised road-cutting and failing to restore roads properly,” Ms. Gupta said.

The announcement came after a review meeting chaired by Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, who underscored the need for time-bound measures and strict enforcement of action plans across Delhi-NCR to combat rising levels of air pollution.