Govt to extend Ujjwala Yojana to slum households using traditional stoves

In In a bid to tackle rising air pollution and promote cleaner living conditions in the capital's slum areas, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced Delhi Government would extend the Ujjwala Yojana to families still relying on traditional stoves and coal-fired heaters.

Gupta said the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has been directed to conduct a comprehensive survey across all slum clusters to identify such households. Based on the findings, the government would facilitate free or subsidised LPG connections to help residents transition to cleaner cooking fuel.

"Pollution control work is underway on a war footing," the Chief Minister said, adding that the government's efforts extend beyond vehicular and industrial sources to tackle domestic pollution as well. "Smoke from stoves and coal burners not only harms health but also worsens Delhi's air quality," she noted.

The Chief Minister emphasised pollution control must begin at the household level and said the government's objective is to ensure that every family has access to clean fuel.

Gupta also said maintenance vans have been deployed across the city to clean roads and pavements, addressing dust and particulate matter. Senior officials from departments including PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control, DUSIB and DSIIDC, as well as representatives from MCD and NDMC, have been mobilised to oversee cleaning and anti-pollution operations.

She instructed Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and civic agencies to deploy all available sanitation resources for citywide cleanliness. Measures such as continuous water sprinkling, mechanical dust suppression and surface repair of roads and pavements are being implemented to cool and clear pollution hotspots.