NEW DELHI: Amid persistent air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued fresh instructions to industries in the region, mandating the installation of real-time emission monitoring systems and surveillance cameras by the end of 2025.
The directive targets major polluting units in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, aiming to enhance industrial accountability and curb harmful emissions.
CPCB Member Secretary Bharat Kumar Sharma, in directions issued on October 9, asked state pollution control boards to immediately commence the installation of online continuous emission monitoring systems (OCEMS) and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras across all red-category units in the food processing, textile, and metal sectors. These measures are designed to enable real-time tracking of stack gases, particulate matter, and industrial operations. Out of 2,361 major industrial units in the NCR, 2,010 have reportedly not connected their OCEMS to the CPCB server, highlighting widespread non-compliance. The new instructions specify that OCEMS must monitor particulate matter (PM) in boilers, furnaces, and thermic fluid heaters.
In addition, metal industries using fuels such as met-coke, low sulfur heavy stock, or ultra-low sulfur oil are required to track sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. PTZ cameras will oversee stack emissions, fume extraction systems, and boiler operations. The CPCB has set a strict timeline, directing state boards to submit an “action taken report” within 15 days.
The board emphasized that these steps reinforce earlier orders from 2018 and 2019, which mandated medium and large red-category units in the NCR to install OCEMS before commencing operations. However, verification by state authorities revealed significant lapses in compliance. To ensure accuracy and standardization, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has been appointed as the national verification agency responsible for OCEMS certification and conformity testing.