‘Non-polluting vehicles shouldn’t be banned’

Madam Chief Minister, congratulations on your party’s spectacular victory in Delhi. And congratulations on taking charge as the chief ministership of the national capital. Your journey has been long and your struggle exemplary. I have reported on your victory in DUSU elections and have witnessed your journey in public service from there on. The Prime Minister has said that the BJP should actively induct youth in the party. What would be your message to the youth aspiring to join politics?

Thank you so much for your kind words and for walking alongside this journey. Politics, for me, has always been about service, not position. I entered student politics with the belief that change begins where you stand, and that belief has only grown stronger over the years.

The Prime Minister is absolutely right, India is a young dynamic nation. We have the largest youth population in the world. If the youth bring their energy and integrity into politics, they won’t just join the system, they will transform it. India’s future needs young, energetic, and committed voices in politics.

My message to youth is simple, don’t wait for the ‘right time’ to serve; start now. Whether it’s in your college, your mohalla, your city, just get involved. Learn the issues, listen to people, and work for them. Politics is not a career ladder; it’s a lifelong responsibility. If you come with the intention to give more than you take, you will find purpose and respect.

What were your first thoughts when you were named as the Chief Minister of Delhi? Did you expect it?

When my party entrusted me with this responsibility, my first thought was simple: Now I have to work even harder, because every hope, every promise, every dream of Delhi is now my responsibility to deliver.

Who was the first to inform you about the party’s decision to put you at the helm? Was there a phone call or someone came to meet you or you were called?

I didn’t receive any call or message, it was as much a pleasant surprise for me as for everyone else. I am deeply grateful to the party leadership for the trust and responsibility they have placed in me.

You have taken over the administration of the state at a time when Delhi is facing numerous challenges. I would like to understand how you plan to resolve these issues. The first and the most immediate issue is urban housing. There have been issues relating to relocation of slum-dwellers. There were talks of their in-situ rehabilitation. What’s your vision for the housing needs of this segment of the state’s population?

Yes, Delhi was in a dire state when we took over, the past government left no stone unturned to destroy Delhi to the core, especially for the poorest of the poor living in slums. For years, their pain was ignored. The previous government treated them as a vote bank, making big promises but never giving them dignity or a permanent roof over their heads.

Under my government, that injustice ends. No slum will be removed without providing alternative housing first. Even when demolitions happen, whether by DDA, Railways, or municipal bodies, they are only as per court orders, and our focus is always on ensuring that every affected family is relocated with dignity.

My government is preparing a comprehensive strategy to meet the demand for 10 lakh houses for the poor. In the first phase, we will revive 50,000 unallotted flats built under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) that the old government left to decay. We will renovate them and allot them to slum dwellers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban.

Madam, winters are approaching. Delhi has been facing severe air pollution during winter months. How do you plan to address this chronic air problem?

Yes, winters in Delhi have sadly become a season of smog, a crisis the previous government talked about but never solved. They spent crores on advertisements, while Delhi gasped for breath. We decided enough is enough, and the results are clearly showing. If you have intent, you will definitely be able to work on the issues. Delhi’s Air Quality Index has already dropped to 74, which is the lowest in a decade.

We understand Delhi’s unique position and the challenges that come with it, and we have developed a comprehensive Air Pollution Mitigation Plan to continue this progress. Under this plan, we are deploying up to 1,000 water sprinklers and 140 anti-smog guns across Delhi throughout the year, except during the monsoon. Our focus is making Delhi dust-with the use of advanced dust-control machines, water sprinkler vehicles, mechanical road sweeping machines, and battery-operated litter

pickers. We are enforcing strict management of construction and demolition waste, and all commercial buildings over 3,000 sq. metres will now be required to have anti-smog guns.

On vehicular pollution, we are moving aggressively. Today, Delhi already has more than G00 DEVi buses and 2,000 electric buses operating, and we are expanding our electric mobility network to make public transport cleaner and more accessible.

We are proving that with the right political will, Delhi can breathe easier not just this winter, but every season. We will turn our Delhi from a gas chamber to a green chamber!

The Yamuna remains heavily polluted despite repeated clean-up efforts. What’s different in your current approach? What are the major challenges in cleaning up the river and how long do you think it’ll take to really clean it up?

Look, cleaning the Yamuna is not a one-day job. This is a problem created over decades of negligence, so yes, it will take some time to fix. But this time, the work has truly begun.

The previous government only held meetings, clicked photos, and delivered zero results. We have changed the approach, we are tackling the problem at source. For the first time, there has been a historic budget allocation of  `9,000 crore towards Yamuna Action Plan to clean our holy river. We have launched a 45-point action plan focused on infrastructure development, sewage treatment plants, and expanding sewer connections across the city. This includes 40 decentralised STPs at a cost of `500 crore so that sewage is treated at source, along with upgrading
existing STPs. We are also enforcing strict industrial waste rules and ensuring zero untreated sewage enters the river.

The rejuvenation of the Yamuna River is a collective effort, it requires coordination between citizens and the government to address this long-standing issue. One of the biggest challenges is untreated industrial and commercial waste discharge. To address this, the Delhi government has launched a citywide crackdown. Inspections have been ordered across industries and commercial establishments to stop illegal sewage and waste discharge into the Yamuna.

And Yamuna’s revival is not just about cleaning, it’s about restoring its life and connection to the people. Soon, cruise services will begin on an eight-kilometre stretch from the Wazirabad barrage to Jagatpur, boosting tourism and cultural development.

Delhi has also been facing water-logging issues and flooding in areas near Yamuna during monsoon. Do you have a long-term roadmap to resolve these issues?

For years, Delhi suffered from waterlogging and flooding every monsoon because previous governments treated it as ‘natural’ and did nothing. We refused to accept that excuse.

This year, the MCD surpassed its desilting target by clearing over 1.7 lakh metric tonnes of silt from 800 major drains, that’s almost 135 % of the goal and almost double than last year. The difference was visible, several key locations that used to flood every year saw no waterlogging at all. And where water did accumulate, it was cleared within hours using modern machines and advanced technology.

This is not a one-season fix. We are preparing a long-term drainage master plan so that flooding near the Yamuna and across Delhi becomes history.

The city witnessed a long spell of clean air days last month. This has triggered a debate on whether vehicles are really the main culprit behind Delhi’s high pollution. A large population is unhappy about laws junking cars after 10 years. Your government reportedly planned a further crackdown on old vehicles. What’s your take on vehicular pollution and retiring 10-year-old vehicles?

It was my government that approached the Supreme Court to review the blanket ban on end-of-life vehicles in Delhi-NCR. We believe that fitness-certified, non-polluting vehicles should be allowed on the roads regardless of age. Modern BS-VI engines, strict PUC norms, and robust emissions testing make it possible to have a science-based, emission-focused policy instead of arbitrary age limits. My stand is clear, if a vehicle isn’t polluting, it shouldn’t be banned. We are committed to clean mobility, but in a way that is fair and just to citizens.

Delhi’s landfills have been a big eyesore. It’s also a source of many diseases. The issue of their removal has been debated for long but they have only grown in size. How do you plan to tackle this issue? Do you have any timeline for their removal?

The sight of Delhi’s landfills pains me as much as it does every citizen. That’s why my government is treating this as a top priority. Biomining at Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla is running at full capacity, we’ve scaled output to 30,000 tonnes per day, up from 25,000 TPD just months ago. At Okhla alone, over 30 acres out of G2 have already been reclaimed. We’ve begun planting 8,000 bamboo saplings there to turn it into a green lung for the city.

We’re not just removing waste, we’re reclaiming these sites for public good, future sports complexes, hospitals, and schools. You can already see the reduction in their height.

In the previous government, coordination between state government and the LG was a sore point. How is it going now? Do you think the powers of CM and LG are clearly delineated or there needs to be more clarity?

There is a triple-engine government in Delhi now, we all work together for the welfare of the citizens. Unlike the previous government, which constantly clashed with the Central Government and the LG, creating obstacles to development, we work in complete coordination. Earlier, critical schemes for Delhi were not implemented and funds meant for the people of Delhi were held back. We, on the other hand, work with the Central Government, not against it, ensuring that every project and welfare measure moves forward without delay.

How do you respond to allegations that your party has continued populist schemes of free electricity and water while opposing these earlier as revri? Do you think the populist schemes are financially sustainable?

We are for public welfare, not political gimmicks. The AAP government spent on optics but delivered very little on outcomes. We believe in responsible governance. Our focus is on targeted subsidies, verified beneficiaries, and measurable impact. For us, governance means investing in infrastructure, education, health, and clean air, not just splashing taxpayers’ money on unverified schemes and giant posters.

Your government is working on many fronts, but what would you say are your top three priorities for Delhi in the next one year?

They left Delhi in such a dire state that narrowing it down to just three priorities is impossible. For me, everything is a priority right now. Before we can dream big, we have to settle the basics. The very foundations of civic life, water, electricity, cleanliness, healthcare, education, and safety need urgent attention. My first task is to bring stability, order, and efficiency back into these core services so that every Delhi resident feels the change in his everyday life. Only once these basics are strong can we build the Delhi of our dreams.

You recently called for a complete overhaul of the Delhi government’s litigation handling process. Why do you feel the need for it?

Delhi’s litigation system has long suffered from delays, poor coordination, and lack of accountability. We are now bringing in a structured overhaul to fix this. Expert panels of retired bureaucrats and legal specialists will review the backlog to identify cases that can be fast-tracked, settled, or withdrawn. This will save time, reduce the burden on courts, and improve efficiency. Importantly, Delhi never had a permanent panel of lawyers for the Supreme Court, something most other states have. I have now ordered the creation of such a panel, along with senior advocates for the High Court and key tribunals, so that Delhi’s legal representation is always strong, consistent, and professional.

There has been a move to replace colonial-era laws. Which are the laws that need replacement and why?

There is still a significant reliance on outdated colonial-era laws like the Punjab Courts Act and the Suit Valuation Act, both of which are more than a hundred years old. These laws were framed for a completely different time and governance structure, and they no longer reflect the needs of a modern, fast-evolving Delhi.

I believe it’s time we bring in legislation that is contemporary, relevant, and aligned with today’s legal realities. The Law Department will actively work on replacing such antiquated statutes with modern frameworks that ensure efficiency, transparency, and better justice delivery.

This vision is also in sync with the landmark legal reforms initiated by the central government, where three major criminal laws have been overhauled replacing the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).