AAP to hire terminated bus marshals to fight pollution
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has announced that it will rehire terminated bus marshals as civil defense volunteers for a period of four months. The move is part of the government's plan to tackle the ongoing pollution crisis in the national capital. "Today their...struggle and the work of Arvind Kejriwal has yielded results...the central government has given in and agreed that these bus marshals can be deputed and paid for thier works," Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj announced.
Volunteers to enforce anti-pollution measures
He said that they will be responsible for stopping open waste burning and construction activities, both major contributors to Delhi's pollution levels. Bhardwaj also assured the rehired bus marshals that efforts will be made to reinstate them in their previous positions. He praised their resilience in the face of adversity, noting that they had endured arrests and police actions during protests.
Announcement came after Delhi LG order
The announcement came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered the deployment of civil defense volunteers to tackle air pollution in the city for four months beginning November 1, 2024. In addition, Saxena asked the AAP-led Delhi government and Chief Minister Atishi to devise a comprehensive long-term strategy for the Civil Defense volunteers' future commitment. These civil defense volunteers were relieved of their duties as bus marshals in October 2023.
They will bolster AAP government's ongoing anti-pollution campaign
Following the order, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that the deployment of Civil Defense volunteers will further bolster the AAP government's ongoing anti-pollution campaign. They will assist in checking violations and limiting the entry of diesel buses in the national capital. According to Rai, the volunteers will collaborate with traffic police and agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to expedite the implementation of anti-pollution measures such as anti-dust campaigns.
