Stepping up its crackdown on air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Centre has directed the immediate sealing of 191 industrial units that failed to install air pollution control equipment despite repeated instructions, while seeking greater accountability from officials responsible for implementing pollution-control measures.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav issued the directions during a high-level review meeting on Saturday with officials from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, calling for strict and time-bound enforcement of measures to tackle worsening air quality.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been asked to seal the 191 non-compliant industries that have neither installed air pollution control devices (APCDs) nor placed orders for their installation despite repeated directions and show-cause notices.
The Centre has also sought greater accountability at the administrative level. The four states have been asked to nominate secretary-level officers to oversee pollution-control measures in 15 cities, seven in Haryana and four each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The officers will conduct field inspections and submit weekly progress reports to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The ministry has also asked the CAQM to issue notices to officials who fail to perform their duties. Authorities have further been directed to take action against transport department officials who fail to install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras by November 30, including criminal prosecution.
Yadav stressed the need for coordinated action across the NCR, saying air pollution did not recognise state boundaries.
Of the 2,345 targeted industrial units in the region, 2,298 have been connected to Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), accounting for nearly 98 per cent of the target. The remaining 47 units have either been closed or sealed.
The minister also directed strict enforcement of the particulate matter emission limit of 50 mg/Nm³ for industrial units.
Traffic congestion, road dust in focus
The Centre has directed authorities to take immediate action at 233 identified traffic congestion points across the NCR. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been asked to install Multi-Lane Free Flow systems at 154 entry points into the national capital by December 31, 2026, to ease congestion.
Reviewing road dust mitigation measures, Yadav noted that only 3,221 km of the targeted 5,480 km of roads had been redeveloped so far. He directed road-owning agencies to expedite the remaining work, repair potholes and damaged footpaths, and ensure mechanical road-sweeping machines operate in double shifts.
Authorities were also asked to conduct physical inspections of more than 3,000 active construction sites to check compliance with dust-control measures.
On waste management, municipal bodies were directed to bridge the shortfall of 6,747 tonnes per day in solid waste processing capacity and accelerate the clearance of legacy waste at the Okhla, Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Bandhwari landfill sites.
The Centre also called for expediting the PARIVARTAN scheme to replace pre-BS-VI trucks and buses with BS-VI-compliant, CNG and electric vehicles by 2028.
Delhi air quality remains 'very poor'
The directions come as Delhi continues to battle high pollution levels, with the city's air quality remaining in the 'very poor' category.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 367.
The city's average AQI registered a marginal improvement from 373 on Friday to 367 on Saturday.
Of the 59 air quality monitoring stations that recorded data on Saturday, 17 reported 'severe' pollution levels, 38 were in the 'very poor' category, three recorded 'poor' air quality and only one was in the 'moderate' category.
PM10 was the predominant pollutant in the national capital during the day.
Vehicular emissions are expected to remain a major contributor to the pollution load. According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector's contribution was projected to rise from 16 per cent on Thursday to 18.5 per cent on Friday and 20.5 per cent on Saturday.
The contribution of stubble burning was estimated at 8.9 per cent on Thursday, before declining to 5.3 per cent on Friday and rising to 13.29 per cent on Saturday.
Source-apportionment estimates by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) showed that secondary organic aerosols accounted for 22.7 per cent of Delhi's pollution load on Wednesday, followed by domestic solid biofuel burning at 22.3 per cent and vehicular emissions at 19.3 per cent.
The contribution of firecrackers, which had surged following Diwali, also declined sharply from 71.1 per cent on Monday to 7.4 per cent on Wednesday.
The Centre said it would use technology-driven monitoring systems, including Delhi's Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and CAQM's PAVAN platform, to strengthen enforcement and track pollution-control measures across the region.
(With inputs from PTI)
