Delhi: The government of Delhi has cracked the whip on 15-year-old vehicles plying in the union territory. After a meeting on Saturday, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister of Delhi said that fuel will not be sold to such vehicles in Delhi from April 1 this year.
The Minister also announced that nearly 90% of the CNG buses will be taken off the roads by the end of the year. They will be replaced by electric buses.
“In the last 15 years, no steps have been taken to curb pollution in Delhi. Funds allotted by the Centre have remained unutilised. Even sprinklers have not been set up to curb dust pollution in the state. We will take appropriate measures with help from all stakeholders, including university students,” the Minister told the media.
He said that Delhi’s air quality suffers due to dust pollution, vehicular pollution and construction pollution. The state government is also looking towards cloud seeding as a measure to curb pollution in Delhi, Sirsa said.
“High rise buildings in Delhi will have to install anti-smog guns. This will also be mandatory for all hotels and commercial complexes. A team will also be formed to check the movement of heavy commercial vehicles in the city. The team will check if such vehicles are fit to play and whether they are following guidelines related to the time allotted for their movement in the state,” the minister added.
Vacant land in the state will also be converted into urban forests, he said. At the same time, construction activity will be monitored regularly to find out whether all rules are being followed.
“Those who polluted the environment will have to come up with solutions themselves. We have told the authorities involved that the government is behind them. They may take whatever steps they want to curb pollution, which has turned into a menace,” he said
