Delhi Unveils Historic Green Budget with Major Environmental Focus
In a landmark move, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented Delhi's first-ever green budget on Tuesday, earmarking a substantial Rs 22,236 crore, which constitutes 21.4% of the total allocation. This initiative is designed to tackle a wide array of environmental challenges, including severe air and water pollution that have long plagued the city.
A Vision for a Greener Delhi
Chief Minister Gupta emphasized the transformative nature of this budget, stating, "We are making Delhi a courtyard of greenery, not a concrete jungle. Every policy of this budget has been viewed through a green lens. Every policy incorporates environmental concerns, every scheme reflects nature, and every decision takes into account the welfare of future generations. This budget represents a historic shift in the approach of governance, where a balance has been struck between development and the protection of Mother Earth."
Key Allocations and Initiatives
The budget outlines several critical areas of investment to enhance Delhi's environmental sustainability:
- Road Redevelopment: A total of Rs 2,392 crore has been allocated to the Public Works Department (PWD) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for end-to-end recarpeting and redevelopment of roads, aimed at making them dust-free. Specifically, Rs 1,392 crore is set aside for 750 km of PWD roads, and Rs 1,000 crore for MCD roads.
- Green Cover Expansion: The environment and forest department's allocation has been increased by 62.7%, from Rs 505 crore in 2025-26 to Rs 822 crore in 2026-27. Plans include planting 35 lakh native trees like peepal, mango, and neem over the next four years, along with Rs 130 crore for forest development, Rs 44 crore for wildlife protection, and Rs 25 crore for Delhi Parks and Garden Societies.
- Water Body Rejuvenation: An amount of Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River and other water bodies. Innovative measures include using solar panels to cover drains to prevent garbage dumping and generate energy, and processing 1,500 tonnes of daily cow dung for energy to stop it from entering rivers.
- Pollution Control: To combat dust pollution, Rs 504 crore is allocated for water sprinklers integrated with anti-smog guns, mechanical road sweeping machines, and water tankers. Additionally, a carbon monetisation scheme is announced, with Rs 2 crore for revamping the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's war-room, mobile app, and real-time tracking mechanism.
- Waste Management: The city's waste-processing capacity is set to double from 7,000 to 15,000 metric tonnes through the expansion of waste-to-energy plants at Narela, Okhla, Ghazipur, and Tehkhand.
- Electric Mobility: To address vehicular pollution, the government targets rolling out 12,000 electric buses by 2029, with Rs 200 crore allocated for the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, including charging infrastructure. Rs 575 crore will be spent on completing eight pending flyovers and underpasses to reduce traffic congestion.
- Public Transport Expansion: The budget includes provisions for expanding Delhi Metro with Rs 2,885 crore and the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) with Rs 568 crore.
Expert Analysis and Mixed Signals
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, offered a nuanced perspective on the budget. She noted, "Commendable investments in clean transit, charging infrastructure, and EV purchase-and-scrap schemes are undermined by contradictory spending on car-centric flyovers and underpasses that ignore last-mile transit accessibility. Furthermore, pollution efforts remain fixated on emergency dust control measures, while the EV Policy 2.0 lacks definitive zero-emission targets. Finally, while expanding waste processing and generation of gas hold potential, it must be strictly driven by 100% segregation at source. Scaling up incineration of unsegregated waste needs to be prevented to control toxic air emissions."
This green budget marks a significant step towards integrating environmental sustainability into Delhi's governance framework, aiming to create a healthier and more livable city for its residents.
