The action plan also includes dust and traffic control interventions.
Delhi-NCR Directed to Submit 2026 Air Quality Action Plans Amid Worst Winter Smog
On Wednesday, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav directed civic bodies in the Delhi-NCR region to submit their 2026 air-quality action plans by the end of December, as the region continues to endure its worst winter smog this season.
At a sixth review meeting on improving air quality in the region, Yadav stressed timely implementation of the plans with regular monitoring on a monthly and weekly basis and on-ground reviews. The regulatory body Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said it would constitute an expert committee for specifically targeting vehicular pollution, which is identified as a major contributor to wintertime PM2.5 levels.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has also given orders to industries across the region, including metal, textile, food processing and 17 other categories, to install Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) by December-end. Of around 3,500 units required to comply, 2,254 fall under the mandate; so far only 1,246 have installed the required devices. Only 35 calibrated OCEMS models approved by CPCB are eligible for installation; industries have begun the process but are under strict compliance deadlines. Non-compliant units face possible closure.
The action plan also includes dust and traffic control interventions. Some of the measures include filling potholes, improving pavements, managing construction and demolition waste, removing encroachments, deploying mechanical road sweepers, and upgrading traffic flow at 62 identified “hotspots”. Municipalities have been asked to speed up sweeping and waste management, fast-track foot-over-bridge construction, and decongest illegal parking, with additional police deployment during peak hours.
Public transport is being nudged toward electrification; the regional electric-bus fleet already stands at about 3,400 buses, with plans to expand to 5,000 by March. Authorities also flagged all commercial vehicles running below Bharat Stage IV emission norms for urgent action or replacement.
The plan calls for a broader, cross-regional coordination: ahead of next year’s paddy season, neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana have been asked to prepare stubble-burning mitigation plans. Meanwhile, public-space greening, including of school campuses and central public-sector units, is being considered, and stricter emission norms proposed by IIT Kanpur are under review.
The directive to bring in a 2026 pollution-control roadmap represents a shift toward structural, year-round measures—a more comprehensive response to chronic air-quality problems in Delhi-NCR, rather than seasonal relief efforts.
Source: The Tribune
