High-level committee inspects Anand Vihar pollution hotspot

Acting on the directions of Delhi Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, a high-level committee on Thursday conducted an inspection of Anand Vihar, one of the city’s key pollution hotspots, to review ongoing measures for improving air quality in the area.

The inspection team was jointly chaired by Shahdara District Magistrate Shailendra Parihar, South Shahdara Zone Deputy Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Badal Kumar, and Shahdara Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Neha Yadav. Officials from the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC), the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) also participated in the review.

During the visit, the committee examined the progress of road construction work being undertaken by the DTIDC and directed that it be completed on a priority basis to minimise dust pollution (PM10). Deputy Commissioner Badal Kumar informed that the construction would be completed within a week. He added that both the DMRC and the NCRTC had already installed anti-smog guns at their sites and increased their operational frequency as part of intensified pollution control efforts.

District Magistrate Shailendra Parihar said that a recommendation had been made to restart the DTIDC bus parking facility at Anand Vihar, for which approval from the Transport Commissioner had been sought. The move is aimed at curbing the issue of unauthorised buses parking outside the terminal which is a key source of vehicular emissions contributing to PM2.5 levels.

Additional DCP Neha Yadav directed the Anand Vihar Station House Officer (SHO) to immediately remove temporary roadside encroachments to ensure smoother traffic movement and reduced dust generation.

Officials said the coordinated steps were expected to bring visible improvement in air quality at Anand Vihar, which has consistently ranked among Delhi’s most polluted areas.