New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to review the capital’s air pollution mitigation action plan and assess measures ahead of the winter season.
The meeting focused on coordinated enforcement, hotspot-specific interventions, public participation and measures targeting vehicular emissions, road dust, waste burning, industrial pollution and traffic congestion.
37 Hotspots to Get Time-Bound Action Plans
Yadav directed that Jan Bhagidari events be organised at Delhi’s 37 identified pollution hotspots by October 10, with specific action points prepared for each location.
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Public representatives will visit the hotspots along with officials and other stakeholders to review implementation. The plan also includes traffic decongestion trials, including one-way arrangements where required.
The Delhi Government informed the meeting that 42 hotspots have already been rectified, while eight more are targeted for completion by October.
‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ to Be Implemented Across Delhi
The meeting decided to implement the ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ measure in mission mode through an awareness and enforcement campaign at all 500 ANPR-enabled fuel stations in the city.
Action will be taken against fuel pumps that fail to comply with the requirement.
The Centre and Delhi Government also agreed to strengthen enforcement against pollution from agricultural activities through coordination with the Agriculture Ministry and NCR states.
Winter Measures Include Vehicle Restrictions and Work From Home
Advance measures for the winter season include restrictions on polluting vehicles, higher parking charges, staggered office timings and a 50% work-from-home arrangement.
From November 1, 2026, entry of vehicles registered outside Delhi and below BS-VI emission standards will be restricted, with exceptions for CNG and electric vehicles, according to the plan.
The meeting also decided to promote the Delhi EV Policy 2026 and increase incentives for scrapping old vehicles under the Parivartan Yojana.
Road Dust, Construction and Waste Burning Targeted
The Delhi Government reported that 1,193 km of road redevelopment work has been completed, with the remaining work targeted for completion by November 15.
The plan also calls for end-to-end paving of footpaths and closure of complaints within 72 hours under the stated SOP.
To control construction and demolition dust, dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction activity will be prohibited from November 1 to January 31, while a complete ban on construction and demolition activities is planned from December 10 to January 20.
For waste burning, ward- and district/subdivision-level monitoring teams will be deployed by October 15. The plan also includes stronger enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 and a city-wide ‘Zero Burning’ campaign.
Delhi Reports 71 Lakh Plantations and 433 Acres of Greening
The Delhi Government informed the meeting that 71 lakh plantations have been carried out and 433 of 434 acres of identified brown areas have been greened.
The meeting emphasised the survival of plantations and continued greening of identified brown areas as part of the pollution mitigation strategy.
Industrial Pollution Monitoring to Be Strengthened
The action plan includes an AI-enabled Command and Control Centre, an increase in monitoring stations from 47 to 60, and deployment of 334 enforcement teams to monitor non-conforming and polluting industries.
The Centre and Delhi Government also discussed strengthening citizen grievance redressal, daily AQI bulletins and coordinated NCR-level action based on an airshed approach.
Public Transport and Last-Mile Connectivity
A city-wide campaign will promote the Delhi Metro Sarthi App from October 1 to 10, including download camps with RWAs and public representatives.
According to information presented at the meeting, last-mile connectivity is available at all 228 Delhi Metro stations, while the city’s bus fleet has reached 6,840, including 5,088 electric buses.
The strategy also seeks greater public participation, with RWAs, market associations, industries and public representatives being brought into the implementation of pollution-control measures.
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