NEW DELHI: Delhi govt will install air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms of govt schools in the first phase of a citywide plan to improve indoor air quality for students, education minister Ashish Sood announced on Friday. Addressing a press conference, Sood said the initiative reflects the govt’s commitment to tackling air pollution through long-term administrative reforms rather than short-term measures. “We want our children to study smart and also breathe smart air. In the first phase, air purifiers will be installed in 10,000 classrooms. Tenders have been floated today itself,” he said.
According to Sood, Delhi has around 38,000 classrooms in govt schools, and air purifiers will be installed in all of them in a phased manner. Official data show that the capital has 1,047 govt and govt-aided schools. Taking a swipe at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt, Sood said earlier efforts focused more on publicity than sustained solutions. “We are not those who flaunt IIT degrees and run campaigns like Odd-Even or ‘Gaadi On, Gaadi Off’. We are addressing pollution through long-term administrative measures,” he said. The Odd-Even scheme, first introduced by AAP govt under then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2016, sought to reduce vehicular pollution by restricting the movement of private vehicles based on the last digit of their registration numbers. Sood, who also holds the urban development portfolio, said additional steps are being taken to address pollution at the city level. He said the Public Works Department will use funds from the environment cess to procure mechanical road sweepers for each assembly constituency. Funds are also being provided to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for purchasing similar equipment. “AAP did nothing for the MCD. Salaries of sanitation workers were not released even when they were in charge of the civic body for two years. What did they do?” Sood said. The minister noted that Delhi’s air quality is also influenced by conditions in neighbouring states and prevailing weather patterns. “We are fully committed to getting rid of pollution. I want to assure the people of Delhi that all possible steps are being taken, and their impact will be visible on the ground very soon,” he added.
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