The Delhi government on Thursday unveiled the first 'Green Budget' of the city. Let's have a look at it's major characteristics.
Manish Sisodia presents budget
The Delhi Government unveiled its first “Green Budget” on Thursday as a part of the general budget of 2018-19 in Vidhan Sabha.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Delhi Government, Manish Sisodia claimed in his budget speech that it was the first time in the country’s history that any government introduced the ‘Green Budget”.
The Green Budget introduced 26 schemes which would be applied to PWD, Power, Transport and Environment Department.
Sisodia added that these schemes would try to improve the environment of the city by keeping a check on pollution and harmful emissions.
He said, “A real time source appointment study would be done with the help of Washington University. The comprehensive study would try to find out about the factors responsible for pollution. As this would be a first of its kind research, the government is going to set up a system which would forecast the pollution as well.”
Sisodia said that a total of 1000 display panels will be installed in all government buildings to display the current level of pollution and monitor it. The government is all set to offer an incentive of Rs. 1 lakh to industries in approved industrial areas in order to switchover to PNG from the existing polluting fuels.
Moreover, the budget provides for subsidies to restaurants to replace coal tandoors with electricity- or gas-based tandoors.
Subsidy will also be offered to switch over from diesel generator sets with capacity of 10 KVA or more. An incentive of Rs 1 lakh will be given to industries to switch over to piped natural gas
The Delhi government is also set to procure 1000 electric buses apart from introducing 905 electric feeder buses meant for last mile connectivity from metro stations.
Sisodia said, “This plan will be fulfilled by March 2019 and thus Delhi would be the first city in India and outside China to have so many electric buses in the fleet.”
Weigh bridges will be installed at three impounding pits in Burari, Sarai Kale Khan ands Dwarka. A new scheme “Landscaping of PWD roads” will be launched for the beautification of all the PWD roads.
Further, the cycle tracks in Delhi would be used to install solar panel over them. “To get rid of dust pollution, all the PWD roadsides or spaces around them would be made green with plantation. We will install solar panels over the cycle tracks in Delhi to generate electricity and use that space for environment,” said Sisodia.
The Deputy CM further informed, “The agricultural lands in Delhi would be used for solar energy generation. This in turn would not only generate additional power but also help the farmers in agriculture. It would be done under the scheme ‘Agriculture-cum-Solar Farm Scheme’.”
Last but not the least, the Delhi Government has also planned to purchase 1000 MW electricity from solar and wind energy.
