Delhi’s Air Fight: 10,000 Civil Defence Volunteers To Tackle Pollution Under AAP’s New Plan, Confirms Atishi

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced on Saturday that approximately 10,000 Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs), who were previously removed from their roles as bus marshals last year, will be re-engaged for four months starting next week to assist with anti-pollution efforts. The Delhi government has officially approved this proposal, she said, adding that call-out notices would be issued to CDVs from Monday, followed by registration at district magistrate offices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Atishi outlined that within two to three days post-registration, these volunteers will be assigned tasks related to managing pollution hotspots, controlling dust pollution, and preventing garbage burning. In a press briefing, she recalled that the CDVs were initially deployed as bus marshals in 2018 by the Kejriwal administration to promote women’s safety, but alleged that the BJP orchestrated their removal in October 2023. “However, led by Kejriwal, AAP leaders and ministers fought alongside the removed bus marshals and got them their jobs back,” she stated.

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She also shared that the Delhi government is preparing a proposal to formalize the CDVs’ roles. Their removal on November 1, 2023, had followed objections from the finance and revenue departments, which argued that CDVs were intended for disaster mitigation roles, making their deployment as bus marshals inappropriate.