Review of Air Pollution Measures

Air Pollution Management in Delhi-NCR: Key Measures and Review

Constitutional and Legal Framework

• Supreme Court Order (17th December 2025): Compliance required for enforcement against vehicles not compliant with BS-III standards.

Review Meeting Highlights (25th Meeting on 12th June 2026)

• Participants: NCR state governments, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), Punjab government.
• Focus: Enforcement actions and preparatory measures to combat air pollution.

Key Areas of Review

1. Vehicle Sector:

   • Implementation of Directive No. 101:
     • Mandatory installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at petrol and CNG stations by 1st October 2026.
     • Ban on fuel supply to vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC).
   • Directive No. 94:
     • Promotion of clean mobility by motor vehicle aggregators and e-commerce by 1st January 2026.
   • Traffic Management:
     • Identification of traffic congestion points and measures to reduce traffic jams and pollution.

2. Construction and Demolition Waste:

   • Review of waste collection, transportation, processing, and management.
   • Current Waste Generation: Approximately 5,500 to 6,000 metric tons of construction and demolition waste daily in Delhi.
   • Measures to control dust pollution from construction sites.

3. Stubble Burning:

   • Directive No. 99:
     • Review of action plans to prevent stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for 2026.
   • Promotion of crop diversification and biomass utilization.
   • Directive No. 92:
     • Mandatory use of stubble-based biomass pellets in brick kilns outside NCR to reduce stubble burning incidents.

4. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management:

   • Review of infrastructure for the disposal of old MSW and new waste management systems.
   • Prevention of open burning of MSW and biomass.

5. Industrial Emissions:

   • Directive No. 98:
     • Strict emission standards for industries:
       • PM emissions limit of 50 mg/Nm³ effective from 1st August 2026 for large and medium industries, and 1st October 2026 for all other industries.
   • Enforcement actions against non-compliant industrial units.

Government Schemes and Initiatives

• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP):
  • Implementation of measures to control air pollution during winter months.
• Integrated Command and Control Centre (I3C):
  • Development of APIs for existing portals for better response and management.

Commitment to Action

• All implementing agencies reaffirmed commitment to strict, targeted, and timely actions to effectively implement the commission's directives and reduce air pollution in the NCR region.

Conclusion

The review meeting underscored a comprehensive approach towards managing air pollution in Delhi-NCR, involving vehicle regulation, construction waste management, stubble burning prevention, and strict industrial emission controls, with a commitment to regular monitoring and enforcement.