Clean Delhi: Govt reviews progress of Green Budget

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 18

A review of the "Green Budget” initiatives has revealed that 21 of the environment-friendly schemes and proposals of the government are “on track” while five are running behind their schedules, was announced nearly four months ago by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Plans to finalise various incentives, announced by the AAP government in its 2018-19 Budget, to promote clean fuel in the city are in advanced stage and a special Cabinet meeting is likely to be called next week to sanction all such proposals.

Sisodia, who reviewed the progress of these projects, told reporters here that the first review meeting of the 26 green proposals was held today and in one-two months all decisions regarding them or their implementation would take off.

“We had spelt out a 26-point agenda under the Green Budget. A review meeting showed that 21 projects are on track while five are off-track, including two each of transport and PWD and one of the Forest Department,” Sisodia said.

The 26 programmes and schemes spanning four departments – environment and forest, transport, power and PWD — are a part of the AAP government’s plans to tackle rising levels of air pollution in the capital.

In March, the government in its annual budget tabled by Sisodia in the Assembly, had announced Rs 1 lakh incentive for industrial units to switch over to piped natural gas, increase adoption of electronic tandoor, promote switchover from diesel generator sets to clean fuel based generator sets, among other measures.

Subsidies of Rs 5,000 and Rs 30,000 per tandoor for restaurants ready to replace it with electricity or clean fuel and to firms and establishments willing to use clean fuel based on electricity generator sets, as per the government.

The proposed introduction of 1,000 fully-electric buses and plans to give subsidies to e-rickshaws and procure 1,000 MW solar and green power are also being worked out by the departments concerned to ensure they are implemented at the earliest.

The work for introducing group net metering policy to tap solar energy in government schools, mandis and other government buildings the work is progressing well and the government in the process of installing solar panels on the roofs of 500 government schools, and this project will be completed in nine months. “The proposals of solar panels in agricultural farmlands, on roof tops and schools are also on time,” added Sisodia.

The project of greening Delhi for which the government has roped in the city’s RWAs, market association, etc., is on in mission mode by plantation of 30 lakh trees and shrubs is in full swing and should be completed by September 30.

In this regard, a meeting with RWAs will be held on July 22 to chalk out the details of the partnership model and ensure greater participation of RWA in the project, said an official.