CM urges collective action on stubble burning, water sharing at Northern Zonal Council Meet

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday raised key regional concerns affecting the national capital at the 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting in Faridabad, urging neighbouring states and the Centre to work collectively on issues such as stubble burning, Yamuna pollution, water sharing and regional transport connectivity.

Addressing the council, Gupta said Delhi’s pollution levels remained heavily impacted by regional factors, particularly smoke from stubble burning.

While acknowledging recent improvements in crop-residue management in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, she said the volume of smoke coming from Punjab remained significantly high, and appealed to Punjab and Haryana for stronger cooperation to ensure cleaner air.

The CM highlighted Delhi’s ongoing transition to a fully electric bus fleet and urged NCR areas to similarly scale up electric buses, auto rickshaws and taxis to reduce vehicular emissions across the region. Gupta outlined joint efforts by Delhi and Haryana to clean the Yamuna, appreciating the support extended by the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana Government.

Calling for an update to the 1994 water-sharing agreement, the CM reiterated Delhi’s demand to raise its share of Yamuna water from 980 MGD to 1,250 MGD in view of the city’s rising population.