Delhi to install air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms amid deteriorating air quality

DElhi breeding government minister Ashish Sood on fri proclaimed that broadcast purifiers will be installed in 10,000 classrooms across the city to ensure cleaner air for students, as part of what he described as long-term measures to tackle pollution.Addressing a press conference, Sood said the government was focused on administrative reforms and policy interventions rather than publicity-driven initiatives, news agency ANI reported.Sood said Delhi has around 38,000 classrooms and air purifiers will be installed in phases.“We want our children to study smart and breathe smart air. In the first phase, air purifiers will be installed in 10,000 classrooms. Tenders have been floated today,” he said.Official data shows there are 1,047 government and government-aided schools in the capital, the report added.He also spoke of the previous governments' schemes such as the Odd-Even or ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign.Also Read | WFH to vehicle entry ban: What are the Delhi government's anti-pollution curbs that took effect today?Delhi govt on odd-even scheme“We are not those who flaunt IIT degrees and do campaigns like Odd-Even or ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign. We are tackling the issue of pollution through long-term administrative measures rather than treating it as a PR exercise,” he said, taking a swipe at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.The Odd-Even scheme, introduced by the AAP government under then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, was implemented twice in 2016 and sought to reduce vehicular pollution by restricting private vehicles based on registration numbers.Also Read | As Delhi anti-pollution rules kick in, here's who is exempt from the latest curbsEnvironment cess for mechanical road sweepersThe minister, who also holds the urban development portfolio, said the Public Works Department would use the environment cess to procure mechanical road sweepers for each assembly constituency.He added that funds are also being provided to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for similar purchases, accusing the previous government of neglecting the civic body.“MCD is being provided money to procure mechanical road sweepers. The AAP government did nothing for the MCD. Salaries were not released for sanitation workers. They were at the helm in MCD for two years, but what did they do?” he said.Citing a CAG report, Sood alleged that in 2017-18, 30 per cent of air quality monitoring stations were deliberately installed in green areas to understate pollution levels. He said weather patterns in neighbouring states significantly influence Delhi’s air quality.“We are committed towards elimination of pollution. I want to assure the people of Delhi that we are taking all possible steps, the results of which will be shown on the ground very soon,” he said, adding that pollution in the city is the result of years of administrative negligence rather than a seasonal problem.He accused the previous government of relying on advertisements and manipulated data instead of substantive action.Sood said that from October 11 this year, the use of recycled construction material has been made mandatory in construction projects, and payments for civil works will not be released without compliance.He added that the Bhalswa landfill is targeted for complete remediation by September 2026, with a tender floated for the disposal of 18 lakh metric tonnes of waste.