CAQM Reviews NCR Winter Air Pollution Preparedness
CAQM reviews stubble burning, vehicular emissions, and industrial control measures across NCR to tackle pollution ahead of the winter season.
As the winter season approaches, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has conducted a comprehensive review of preparedness across the National Capital Region (NCR) to combat rising air pollution. The focus remains heavily on curbing stubble burning, managing vehicular emissions, and controlling industrial and road dust levels.
Focus on Stubble Burning Prevention
During the 26th meeting of the Sub-Committee on Safeguarding & Enforcement, chaired by Rajesh Verma, officials evaluated the readiness of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The primary goal is the complete elimination of paddy stubble burning incidents during the 2026 season.
Key strategies discussed to achieve this include:
- Promotion of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) to reduce residue.
- Encouraging crop diversification to move away from paddy.
- Effective utilization of existing crop residue.
- Strengthening awareness and IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) activities among the farming community.
Strict Vehicular Emission Controls
The Commission is intensifying measures to curb pollution from transport. This includes reviewing restrictions on BS-IV and older commercial goods vehicles entering Delhi. Furthermore, there is a significant push toward cleaner mobility for buses, including those operating under All India Tourist Permits.
New technological enforcement measures are also on the horizon:
- ANPR Systems: Installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition at fuel and CNG stations to prevent fuelling of vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC).
- Aggregator Compliance: Fast-tracking cleaner mobility for motor vehicle aggregators, delivery services, and e-commerce entities through surprise checks.
- Scrapping Old Vehicles: Intensifying actions for the impounding and scrapping of End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles in line with Supreme Court orders.
- Diesel Auto-Rickshaws: Moving toward the complete phasing out of diesel auto-rickshaws across NCR districts by the end of 2026.
Industrial and Dust Management
Beyond transport, the CAQM is monitoring stringent emission standards for industries and specific measures to control pollution from stone crushing units across the region.
To address road dust, the Commission has emphasized the procurement and deployment of additional Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs). These will be deployed to identified hotspots before the onset of the winter season to ensure cleaner roads and reduced dust levels.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of the Integrated Traffic Management Systems (ITMS), which will use ANPR-based automated challaning to manage traffic congestion and reduce idling emissions at major intersections in Delhi and NCR towns.