NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed highly polluting industries operating in the National Capital Region (NCR) to install pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras at key operational points and enable real-time video transmission to pollution control authorities by November 30, 2026, to strengthen monitoring of industrial emissions.
In an order superseding its earlier directive dated October 5, 2026, the commission said the requirements would apply to all 17 categories of highly polluting industries identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), medium and large red-category air-polluting industries, food and food-processing units, textile industries with boilers or thermic fluid heaters, and metal industries with furnaces.
The CAQM has fixed a stringent emission limit of 50 mg/Nm³ for the selected polluting industries. The limit is based on a technical study by IIT Kanpur and recommendations made by a technical committee constituted by the CPCB.
Under the revised directions, industries must install cameras at fuel-feeding and charging points of boilers, thermic fluid heaters, furnaces, kilns and other fuel-fired equipment to enable authorities to monitor fuel usage during operations.
Units using gaseous fuels will have to position cameras to capture gas meters, gauges and associated metering arrangements. Cameras must also cover industrial stacks, online continuous emission monitoring system (OCEMS) sampling points and port-hole locations, as well as fume-extraction system areas, wherever applicable.
The CAQM has stipulated that the number and positioning of cameras must ensure adequate coverage of relevant operations without significant blind spots. Additional cameras will have to be installed wherever a single device cannot capture all prescribed locations.
The order also mandates continuous, real-time transmission of video feeds through the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to designated servers and portals of the CPCB and the respective state pollution control boards or the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
Industries will be responsible for ensuring that cameras and communication systems remain functional and provide clear footage, including during night-time operations, wherever applicable. They must also arrange an uninterrupted power supply and suitable backup for cameras and associated connectivity equipment.
Any prolonged disruption in video transmission or camera malfunction must be promptly reported to the concerned pollution control authority, along with details of the corrective action taken.
The CPCB, in coordination with the respective state pollution control boards and the DPCC, will establish the necessary technical infrastructure, including designated portals and servers, to receive and access the video feeds.
The concerned authorities have been directed to circulate the order among industries, monitor compliance and ensure its effective implementation. The governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, along with the Delhi government, will also be responsible for enforcing the directions.
The commission clarified that the new requirements are in addition to existing obligations concerning emission standards, approved fuels, OCEMS and other pollution-control measures under applicable environmental laws.
Pointers: CAQM directions on PTZ cameras for polluting industries
1\. Installation and positioning of PTZ cameras at all fuel-feeding or charging points of boilers, thermic fluid heaters, furnaces, kilns and other fuel-fired industrial equipment.
2\. Real-time video monitoring and connectivity through the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to the designated portals of the CPCB and the respective states.
3\. Provision of power backup and maintenance for PTZ cameras, communication equipment and associated connectivity systems.
4\. All industrial units must complete the installation and operationalisation of the requisite PTZ cameras, including arrangements for real-time transmission of video feeds, by November 30, 2026.