Air pollution knows no national boundaries, coordinated action required: Union Minister

NSUI members and supporters stage a protest against rising pollution in Delhi on November 12, 2026. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Saturday (Nov 14, 2026) said air pollution does not recognize national borders, stressing the need for coordinated implementation of pollution control measures across the National Capital Region (NCR) with real-time monitoring through Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) and direct accountability of police officers for violations.

At a review meeting held to review measures taken by Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to mitigate air pollution in Delhi-NCR, he directed all agencies to go beyond planning and ensure strict, time-bound and coordinated enforcement on the ground.

The minister directed the state governments to appoint secretary-level officials for seven cities in Haryana, four cities in UP and four cities in Rajasthan to make them responsible for implementing pollution control measures through field visits and reporting to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on a weekly basis.

Focus on polluting vehicles

The minister directed all the concerned states to install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at petrol stations, integrated with VAHAN and Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) databases, to crack down on old and polluting vehicles, failing which the CAQM will initiate criminal proceedings against the delinquent transport ministry officials after November 30.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been directed to immediately seal the identified 191 non-compliant polluting industries that have not placed an order for installation of Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) despite repeated instructions.

Mr. Yadav called for strict implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and urged the NCR states to adopt the Delhi Winter Hotspot Action Plan, which includes traffic management, work-from-home measures, construction restrictions and prevention of open burning. Knowing that only 3,221 km of the target 5,480 km of roads have been rebuilt, he directed the road-owning agencies to prioritize repairs of potholes, damaged pavements, center verges and complete paving under the CAQM framework along with AI-based video surveys.

In terms of clearing traffic jams, the Union Minister has ordered immediate action at 233 identified congestion spots across the NCR and fresh assessments by the respective states. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been asked to complete installation of multi-lane free flow systems at 154 border entry points of Delhi by December 31.

Mr. Yadav said real-time inputs from sensors, cameras and satellites must be used along with physical checks to identify violations and ensure swift enforcement. “Coordinated efforts, ground-level accountability and visible action on the ground are necessary to effectively tackle the problem of air pollution in Delhi-NCR,” he said.

Published – 14 Nov 2026 21:42 IST