India, Dec. 8 -- In a major pollution-control move ahead of peak winter, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta distributed electric heaters to night guards of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) on Sunday. The move aimed to curb the widespread practice of burning firewood and waste to stay warm, one of the most persistent sources of toxic winter smoke in the Capital.

Calling the initiative a "clean and safe alternative" to open fires, the Chief Minister said the Delhi Government would continue to roll out targeted interventions to reduce winter pollution. She stressed that the campaign against pollution is being run in "mission mode," and the city cannot afford to avoidable sources of smoke at a time when air quality remains fragile.

The he...