Need 27 months to fix pollution backlog of 27 years, where was your protest before: Delhi CM
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday criticised those who protested at India Gate over deteriorating air quality, questioning the absence of their demonstrations during previous administrations when air pollution was a persistent issue.
"I want to ask those protesting at India Gate: the problem of air pollution is not new and has been around for years. Where were your protests before? What did the previous government do? There is a backlog of 27 years. The government at least needs 27 months to work. After 27 months, you can ask me about the steps we have taken to address the air pollution issue," Gupta said at an event.
Highlighting her government's initiatives to combat air pollution, Gupta mentioned that electric heaters were distributed among night guards of various Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) to reduce smoke and pollution from open fires used during winter.
She pointed out that electric heaters are a safe, clean, and environmentally friendly alternative that can effectively contribute to the battle against pollution.
According to her, the government is working in "mission mode" to reduce pollution levels.
The distribution of electric heaters took place at Dilli Haat, Pitampura, funded by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions from the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC). Gupta expressed her gratitude to Environment and Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and DSIIDC for their support.
Gupta also mentioned that the Delhi government is taking aggressive action to combat pollution. The initiatives include expanding mechanical street sweeping and water-sprinkling systems on roads, installing mist-spray technology on electricity poles, and implementing a comprehensive dust-mitigation plan throughout the city.
Additionally, strict measures have been enforced to control emissions from industrial units. Gupta informed that wall-to-wall carpeting of approximately 1,400 kilometres of Delhi's roads is underway to minimise dust dispersion.
The open burning of waste or firewood is strictly prohibited, and gas connections are being provided to families in need to reduce reliance on firewood as fuel.
The chief minister said that due to these efforts, pollution levels have shown improvement, but sustained reduction is possible only with active public participation.
She urged RWAs, residents, and local communities to take immediate action if they observe wood, coal, or waste being burned anywhere.
She emphasised that every citizen plays a crucial role in this fight against pollution, as it is a shared responsibility between the government and society.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
