National Desk: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched a sharp attack on the opposition and previous governments over the rising air pollution in the national capital. She said that many long-standing issues in Delhi—be it huge garbage mounds, broken roads, or the severe pollution crisis—were “inherited like dowry.” Questioning the past administrations, she said, “The government that ruled for 11 years came and went, another that ruled for 15 years also came and went, but the problems stayed exactly the same.”
Questions Raised Over the Performance of Previous Governments
Rekha Gupta criticized the pollution-control strategies of earlier governments. She targeted the Odd-Even scheme and questioned its effectiveness.
She said:
“Think about it—what did the previous governments really do to tackle pollution? Just an Odd-Even scheme, and even that made no real difference.”
She alleged that past strategies focused more on inconveniencing the public to the extent that people stopped questioning the root problems.
“Does putting people in discomfort and creating emergency-like situations solve anything?” she asked.
Work Done on Waterlogging Issues
The Chief Minister also slammed former governments over the chronic waterlogging problem. She noted that heavy flooding at Minto Bridge had become a “yearly story,” but this year, the city did not witness such incidents.
She said that soon after her government took charge in February, work began on heat mitigation and then waterlogging solutions. She described waterlogging as a “40-year-old legacy problem” that no one previously attempted to fix.
‘A Government Is Like a Mother’
CM Gupta said that a government functions like a mother who must care for every citizen. Her administration, she added, is working with the same sentiment to make Delhi cleaner, safer, and better.
She mentioned that cloud seeding was attempted to improve air quality, but it did not succeed despite scientific recommendations. She took a jab at the opposition, saying they had no work left except making allegations and had become “unemployed.”
‘Kejriwal and the LOP Are Missing’
Taking a political dig, she said that nearly every scheme of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had to be reviewed by the CAG.
She added:
“Arvind Kejriwal has disappeared. The Leader of the Opposition is also missing. Only Saurabh Bharadwaj has been handed a rattle—let him keep playing it; what can we do?”
Major Causes of Pollution and Future Plans
The Chief Minister listed other major causes of pollution in the capital. She said garbage is burned throughout the night, and smoke from makeshift stoves in slum areas adds significantly to the pollution load.
She stated that the problem will be tackled in smaller parts through a step-by-step, phased approach.
Finally, she announced a major policy decision:
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