Bhupender Yadav reviews air pollution action plans as Delhi-NCR AQI worsens

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review city-specific action plans aimed at curbing air pollution in Ghaziabad and Noida.

 

In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said that Yadav took updates from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems in remaining industrial units, along with the status of inspections and handholding support provided to industries.

 

“He directed strict adherence to the December 31, 2025 deadline for OCEMS installation and instructed that stringent action be taken against non-compliant units. CPCBs and SPCBs were also asked to inspect polluting and delinquent industries in peri-urban areas and undertake corrective measures,” the statement said.

 

Review of action taken on pollution control measures

 

Senior officials from Ghaziabad and Noida made detailed presentations on action taken so far.

 

The review assessed progress across key parameters, including adoption of smart traffic management systems, compliance of industrial units with pollution norms, status of commercial electric vehicle fleets and charging infrastructure, strengthening of public transport and parking facilities, and management of construction and demolition waste, municipal solid waste and legacy waste.

 

Other focus areas included paving of roads to reduce dust, deployment of mechanical road sweeping machines, use of anti-smog guns and water sprinklers, greening of pathways and open spaces, and Jan Bhagidari initiatives such as IEC activities and app-based grievance redressal mechanisms.

 

Minister outlines next steps and policy suggestions

 

According to the statement, Yadav requested the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR to fine-tune implementation parameters and collate them for an NCR-wide review.

 

“The Minister stressed active involvement of public representatives and citizens in ground-level implementation of action plans and greening activities, so that pollution control becomes a true Jan Bhagidari movement,” the ministry said.

 

Offering specific suggestions, Yadav advised municipal authorities to partner with forest departments to plant heat-resistant, low-water indigenous bushes and grasses. He also called for integrated waste management plans through coordinated efforts of government and municipal agencies, avoiding siloed approaches and duplication of resources.

 

The statement said CAQM was asked to devise a standard operating procedure for use of urban open spaces for greening and improved planning. The Minister also underlined the need for studies to identify major traffic corridors in Delhi-NCR, followed by provision of end-to-end public transport facilities. He added that municipal action plans should remain future-ready, including advance identification of sites for processing rising volumes of municipal and construction waste.

 

Delhi AQI on Monday

 

Delhi remained under dense smog on Monday, with the Air Quality Index settling at 498, placing it in the ‘severe’ category.

 

Air quality was recorded as ‘severe’ at 38 monitoring stations and ‘very poor’ at two stations. Jahangirpuri recorded the worst air quality, with an AQI of 498.

 

The AQI had climbed to 461 on Sunday, marking the city’s most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.