Delhi govt constitutes expert committee to combat capital's hazardous air
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government has constituted an expert committee to provide independent ideas, suggestions and solutions to tackle the capital's chronic air quality crisis, officials said on Monday.
The committee is key to the government's five-pronged pollution-control strategy, which focuses on innovation, scientific management of dust and solid waste, action against polluting industries, reduction of vehicular emissions, and long-term efforts to make Delhi greener and healthier.
Officials said the move marks a departure from earlier approaches that relied largely on regulatory orders without structured expert consultation.
To ensure faster execution of pollution-related decisions, the government has also set up the Implementation Committee on Control of Air Pollution (ICCAP), aimed at translating expert recommendations and government schemes into effective on-ground action.
According to officials, the Special Expert Committee comprises 11 members, including former secretaries, former chairpersons of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), secretaries of the environment and forest departments, representatives from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), and experts from institutions such as IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi.
The implementation committee has 16 members, including the chief secretary, MCD commissioner, DDA vice-chairperson, NDMC chairperson, DUSIB chief executive officer, special commissioner of police (Traffic), and other senior officials.
Apart from this, the government has identified vehicular pollution as a key focus area, with large-scale road infrastructure upgrades currently underway, officials added.
According to official data, over 50,200 potholes have been repaired this year, compared to 36,629 last year.
Meanwhile, out of Delhi's 10,500-km road network, 2,180 km have been identified for redevelopment, while 469 km of roads under the MCD and PWD have already been recarpeted and strengthened. A policy decision has also been taken to ensure end-to-end pavement construction on all roads.
On Monday, the city's air quality worsened, slipping into the 'severe' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401 at 4 pm, compared to 390 recorded a day earlier, in the 'very poor' range.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
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Hamas confirms death of Abu Obeida, introduces new military spokesman
Gaza: Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has officially confirmed the death of its long-time military spokesman Abu Obeida, revealing his real identity for the first time and announcing the appointment of a new spokesman who will use the same nom de guerre.
In a prerecorded statement aired on Arab media on Monday, the group said that Abu Obeida, whose real name was Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout, was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City in August. While Israel and the Shin Bet had claimed his killing at the time, Hamas had not confirmed the report until now.
The new spokesman, whose identity has not been disclosed, stated that he would continue to operate under the name Abu Obeida. He paid tribute to al-Kahlout, describing him as a key figure in Hamas’s military media apparatus who served the organisation for over two decades.
The statement marked the first official confirmation by Hamas of al-Kahlout’s identity. Throughout his public life, he appeared only with his face covered by a red keffiyeh, earning him the nickname “the masked one” across the Arab world.
The new spokesman also confirmed the deaths of other senior military leaders, including Mohammed al-Sinwar, the former commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who was killed in May, and Raed Saad, who was killed earlier this month.
Al-Kahlout served as the sole military spokesman of the Qassam Brigades since 2004, delivering televised statements, battlefield updates and announcements during major confrontations with Israel. His profile rose sharply following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Little was publicly known about his personal life. In a past interview, he stated that his family had been displaced during the 1948 Nakba and resettled in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Sources within Hamas said only a small number of people were aware of his true identity before his death.
Israel had attempted to assassinate him multiple times over the years. In April 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on him, describing him as Hamas’s “information warfare chief.”
The confirmation of his death comes months after Israeli authorities claimed responsibility, closing a long period of uncertainty surrounding one of Hamas’s most recognisable and influential figures.
