CM Rekha Gupta launches 25 electric buses for schools to boost clean air initiative

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday said the city is in safe hands under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and will witness remarkable transformations in the coming years. Twenty-five electric buses were flagged off from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. On the occasion, Saxena stated that Delhi is in safe hands and praised Gupta, noting that within just six months, she had begun commendable work towards improving the city's air quality. The chief minister remarked that true progress lies in living in harmony with nature. She emphasised that the Delhi government is consistently working to reduce pollution and promote green transportation. The introduction of electric buses, she said, is not merely a technological shift but a concrete step towards environmental conservation. By providing EV buses to schools, the government aims to ensure that children travel in pollution-free vehicles, thereby safeguarding both their physical and mental health.

Speaking on the occasion, Gupta said that this initiative would not only ensure safe travel for students but also play an important role in improving Delhi's air quality. She reiterated that reducing pollution is one of the topmost priorities of the Delhi government. Referring to the Lieutenant Governor's earlier initiatives, she said that the government had already been undertaking efforts such as the removal of landfill sites, dust control, afforestation, and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna riverfront. Transitioning school buses to electric mode, she noted, was now a decisive step in the same direction. Highlighting the significant role played by private and government-run diesel and CNG buses in worsening pollution, she urged all schools to shift to electric buses in order to make Delhi's air cleaner. The chief minister commended Sardar Patel Vidyalaya for converting its entire bus fleet into electric vehicles with the support of the Delhi government. "Now, it will not be pollution that flows through Delhi's veins, but clean air," she remarked.

She further announced that the Delhi government would organise competitions across all schools on themes related to environmental protection and sustainable development, encouraging children to understand their responsibility towards nature and to uphold these values throughout their lives. Gupta added that patriotism is not merely about sacrificing one's life for the nation, but about every citizen contributing daily towards making their city and country clean, safe, and pollution-free. "We have the opportunity every single day to live for our country and to take it forward," she said. Commending Sardar Patel Vidyalaya for setting an inspiring example, she congratulated the school's management, teachers, and students, noting that their adoption of electric buses would not only reduce pollution but also instil in children a strong sense of environmental responsibility. She described the initiative as a motivating step towards building a clean and green Delhi.