Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has directed authorities in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to ensure visible improvement in air quality across the reg
Chairing a review meeting of action plans of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with the municipal bodies concerned on Friday—as Delhi clocked a “very poor” air quality index (AQI) of 376 on Friday—Yadav emphasised that the momentum of actions must be sustained until there is visible improvement in air quality within a week.
“Strict measures must be taken against defaulters, but at the same time the general public must not get inconvenienced unnecessarily. Identified issues are to be addressed through corrective actions, with a review scheduled in 15 days,” Yadav has said.
This was the fourth review meeting held in recent weeks, as air quality has started to deteriorate. Yadav said meetings will be held every month from January 2026 to review action plans prepared by state governments and address implementation bottlenecks through interstate coordination meetings at the highest level.
In a communique issued by the Union environment ministry, directions were also issued to ensure smooth traffic management at 62 traffic hot spots in the region and to promote EV/CNG buses for employees of corporates and industrial units in the region. Staggered timings for offices, shopping malls and commercial complexes were also suggested to reduce peak-hour congestion.
The Centre directed Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida to fast-track the implementation of the Integrated Smart Traffic Management System (ITMS).
Yadav also underscored coordinated planning with Metro rail authorities to improve last-mile connectivity, removal of encroachments causing traffic within 10 days, ensure annual maintenance contracts for pothole-free roads, and proper drainage to prevent monsoon damage to roads.
“Coordinated redressal of public grievances related to pollution was to be ensured under CAQM’s supervision, along with focused IEC activities for stakeholder engagement,” the ministry said.
The note read, “Yadav emphasised on taking necessary steps to ensure visible improvement in the prevailing air quality situation across the NCR within one week. He directed the authorities to remove dust and construction and demolition (C&D) waste lying on roads, containment of biomass burning, and strict enforcement of construction bans during high pollution periods.”
It said that nodal officers were asked to be assigned responsibility for mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs), supported by GPS tracking, to ensure efficient road cleaning and dust control. Public representatives were to be involved to strengthen accountability.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR was advised to issue guidance to municipal bodies to disallow demolition activities unless C&D waste collection subcentres are available within a 10-kilometre radius. C&D activities are to be banned from October to December, and CAQM was asked to explore engaging start-ups and the private sector for innovative C&D waste management solutions.
