Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said he will soon call a meeting with Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the three Mayors of the city’s civic bodies as well as Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to chart a strategy to curb pollution in the Capital.
Speaking to The Hindu during an interview, Mr. Gadkari said, “We will use vacuum cleaners to remove dust from roads and develop lawns on either sides. We also plan to mandate the use of precast structures for construction work in Delhi. To prevent pollution from stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, we will explore ways to use crop residue for production of ethanol. We will sit down with various stakeholders and develop a strategy to free Delhi from pollution.”
Proposed ropeway
He also listed other ways in which the Centre plans to fight vehicular pollution, such as the proposed cable car or ropeway between Dhaula Kuan and Manesar, and water transport over the Yamuna.
The Minister added that the Centre has planned works totalling ₹40,000 crore for Delhi. These, he said, include the Dwarka Express Highway and other projects to clear many bottlenecks in the city.
Mr. Gadkari recently inaugurated one half of the ring road around Delhi, or the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which aims to divert traffic not meant for Delhi. The other half of the ring road, or the Western Peripheral Expressway, is expected to be ready by June 15.