As Delhi struggles to breathe, government plugs Rs 787-crore 'green' fund

The Delhi government says that the improvement in the state buses was not possible because of parking spaces. However, it also assured that electric buses will be launched soon. It has also been reported that the DTC fleet has shrunk from 5,121 buses in 2010 to 3,944 buses at present.

As we speculate whether the atmospheric condition of New Delhi owes its characteristics to the climatic changes, it has come to light that the Delhi  Government too has a role to play in it. Banking on reducing air pollution in the State capital, the AAP government had come to power. But, it seems to have done little toward it, apart from the odd-even scheme. 

Incidentally, a report by the Times of India, it has been revealed that the government is sitting on a kitty of more than Rs 787 crores, collected as 'green tax' to be spent on measures to battle the killer pollution in the city and augment the public transport. It is to be noted here that the Delhi Transport Corporation has not procured a single bus since 2010.

Replying to an RTI, it is said that the government had spent Rs 93 lakh from the fund for preparation of documents for the radio-frequency identification system at toll plazas. But nothing has been done to improve the transportation system and the air quality level as such. 

It has also been reported that the DTC fleet has shrunk from 5,121 buses in 2010 to 3,944 buses at present. The government, however, denying all allegations said that it was not shortage of funds, but the lack of availability of parking spaces for new buses that had hampered the augmentation of DTC's fleet. Inside sources, however, say that the unused funds collected as environment compensation charge since 2015 will now be used to procure 500 electric buses. According to sources, the procurement of electric buses was discussed at a meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.