Delhi proposes real-time monitoring centre for pollution

Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the 2025-26 budget on Tuesday. A key feature of the budget is a plan to establish an integrated command and control centre. This centre will monitor air quality, water pollution, noise levels, and waste management in real-time. The budget allocates Rs 506 crore to the environment and forest departments. Among this, Rs 300 crore is dedicated to pollution control and emergency measures. Additionally, Rs 20 crore will support community efforts to green parks and public spaces through the Delhi Parks and Garden Society scheme. To improve air quality, a large-scale tree plantation drive will be launched. This initiative aims to plant 70 lakh saplings in order to enhance Delhi's green cover. The government also plans to install 32 Water Quality Monitoring Stations along the Yamuna River and major drains to monitor water contamination continuously. Furthermore, six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring stations will be set up in key areas. These stations will provide live data to help manage pollution effectively. CM Gupta emphasized that these efforts aim to create a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations. The total budget for 2025-26 is Rs 1 lakh crore, which represents a 31.5% increase from last year. This budget is notable as it is the first presented by a BJP-led government in Delhi in over 26 years.