New Delhi: Chairing a high-level review meeting on Delhi-NCR’s air pollution, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav directed all State and UT authorities to immediately fast-track the on-ground execution of decisions taken in the past five meetings. Delhi’s Environment Minister, Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, was present during the discussion.
Yadav reviewed each action point in detail and stressed that only strict, high-quality implementation across sectors can improve air quality in the region. He highlighted the urgent need to accelerate road repair and development, enforce dust control through end-to-end pavements, strengthen construction and demolition waste management, ensure industrial compliance with emission standards, deploy smart traffic management, boost public transport, clear legacy waste, and expand the greening of open spaces.
The Minister asked all stakeholders to prepare detailed Annual Action Plans for next year with clear monthly and weekly targets. Moving to a year-long roadmap, he said, would help authorities act proactively rather than reactively.
He also announced that on-ground review meetings would soon be held — coordinated by the CAQM — with Punjab and Haryana’s Agriculture Departments on stubble burning, the Union Housing Ministry on planned urban development, and NCR’s local bodies on local pollution control.
Industry compliance was discussed in detail. Authorities informed that non-compliant units would be assisted to voluntarily speed up the installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD). Units failing to comply by December 31, 2025, would face strict action, including closure. The government is monitoring any price escalation of such devices to prevent delays.
A total of 2,254 high-polluting industrial units — including metal, textile, food processing and other red-category industries — have been mandated to install calibrated and verified OCEMS and APCDs by the deadline.
Yadav reviewed road development works, including pothole repairs, and asked NCR states to follow strict SOPs to complete pending work on time. He emphasized app-based monitoring to incorporate real-time citizen feedback. Delhi authorities have been asked to intensify deployment of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines.
On traffic congestion, the Minister said that 62 hotspots in Delhi require urgent interventions by Delhi Police through smart traffic management. He directed immediate steps such as clearing encroachments, removing illegal parking, deploying additional police during peak hours, and fast-tracking tenders for foot-over bridges. Other NCR cities were encouraged to adopt similar measures.
The meeting also noted the ongoing transition of Delhi’s public transport fleet to electric vehicles, with around 3,400 e-buses currently operating, expected to exceed 5,000 by March next year. Action has also been intensified against commercial vehicles below BS-IV, while BS-III and older vehicles have already been barred from entering Delhi.
Yadav instructed officials to identify greening sites across NCR and ensure public participation in plantation and restoration efforts. He emphasized the greening of degraded forest land, revival of open spaces, water bodies and wetlands, and the removal of encroachments. Education Departments were asked to revive eco-clubs and green-warrior groups to strengthen youth-led environmental engagement. Micro-plans for winter greening will be drawn up and implemented over the next five years with involvement from local elected representatives.
(Cover Image Credit: Canva)
