Delhi steps up winter air pollution action with time-bound measures across key sectors

The Union and Delhi governments have rolled out a winter action plan to curb air pollution before smog levels worsen in the coming months. The measures target key pollution sources, including vehicle emissions, road dust, waste burning, industrial activity and specific pollution hotspots.

A major step is the rollout of the ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ policy from 1 October. Vehicles without a valid pollution-under-control certificate could be denied fuel at 500 petrol pumps fitted with number-plate recognition systems. From 1 November, Delhi also plans to restrict the entry of older, more polluting vehicles registered outside the city.

The plan sets firm deadlines for road redevelopment, dust-control measures and the clean-up of pollution hotspots across the capital. Authorities will also expand air-quality monitoring, strengthen inspections and tighten action against non-compliant industries.

Officials say the focus this year is on stricter enforcement and measurable outcomes rather than broad seasonal advisories. Greater involvement of local communities, resident groups and other stakeholders is expected to play a key role in monitoring and implementing the measures on the ground.

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who chaired a high-level meeting with Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, directed authorities to convert existing plans into concrete, measurable actions and complete key interventions within specified deadlines. The approach covers vehicular emissions, road and construction dust, waste burning, industrial pollution, public transport and traffic management.

The winter plan also includes restrictions on polluting vehicles, higher parking charges, staggered office timings and 50% mandatory work-from-home arrangements. Of the targeted road redevelopment, 1,193km has been completed, while the remaining 1,872 km is targeted for completion by 15 November. Authorities have also been directed to ensure end-to-end paving of footpaths and resolve complaints within 72 hours.

More enforcement on industries and waste burning

For waste management, the government plans to establish ward-level monitoring teams and a citywide zero-burning campaign. The number of material recovery and segregation facilities has increased to 98 from 76 last year, according to the Delhi government.

The meeting also focused on industrial emissions, with plans to operationalise an AI-enabled command-and-control centre, increase the number of air-quality monitoring stations from 47 to 60, and deploy 334 enforcement teams against non-compliant industries.

The development assumes significance as Delhi’s air quality deteriorates significantly every winter. Data from the past several years shows that pollution levels consistently rise between November and February. During 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) between 1 November and 15 February ranged from 312 to 342, while the maximum AQI ranged from 461 to 494.

Delhi’s annual average PM2.5 concentration has remained around 100 micrograms per cubic metre over the past seven years. The government set a target to reduce the annual average PM2.5 level by 15% in 2026.

This is for the first time winter action plan has been made. The Delhi government notified a permanent Winter Pollution Master Plan in July, replacing ad-hoc seasonal orders with a pre-defined framework that automatically comes into force every year from 1 November to 28 February.

The government has also identified 37 pollution hotspots for focused interventions. Jan Bhagidari events will be organised at these locations by 10 October, with public representatives, resident welfare associations, market associations and officials tasked with identifying and monitoring location-specific action points.

Traffic decongestion measures will include one-way trials at selected hotspots, while citizens will be encouraged to report encroachments, illegal parking and waste dumping. The Delhi government said 42 hotspots had already been rectified, with eight more targeted by October.

Yadav also called for closer coordination with the agriculture departments of NCR states to address crop-residue burning, and urged authorities to finalise NCR-level action plans before 10 October. The emphasis on coordinated, time-bound implementation comes amid repeated reviews by the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) of Delhi-NCR’s pollution-control measures.

The strategy also seeks greater public participation, with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), traders, industries and elected representatives being brought into monitoring and implementation, signalling a shift from broad seasonal advisories towards area-specific enforcement and measurable deadlines.