Union Environment Minister Calls for Joint Action Across NCR to Tackle Air Pollution

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday stated that smog and smoke cross state lines without stopping, and urged neighbouring governments to work together to clean the air in the national capital region.

Action Plan

Yadav led a high-level review meeting with top officials from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to check how well pollution control steps are working. The central government told state authorities to appoint senior bureaucrats to oversee pollution work in specific urban pockets. This includes seven urban centres in Haryana, four in Uttar Pradesh, and four in Rajasthan. These appointed officials must visit ground locations and send weekly progress reports directly to the Commission for Air Quality Management. The commission was also asked to issue official warnings to officers who fail to perform their duties properly.

Vehicle and Road Steps

The meeting pushed forward the transition plan to phase out older heavy vehicles. Authorities must speed up the PARIVARTAN Scheme to swap older trucks and buses for cleaner BS-VI models, CNG fuel, and electric motors before the year 2028. Officials must also strictly follow the emergency rules under the Graded Response Action Plan. NCR states were told to copy Delhi's special winter strategy that targets pollution hotspots. That strategy includes better traffic control, work-from-home options, bans on open garbage burning, and curbs on building work. On road dust management, the review found that agencies had only rebuilt 3,221 kilometres of roads out of the target of 5,480 kilometres. Road authorities must now fix potholes, broken footpaths, central dividers, and pave surfaces fully using artificial intelligence video checks.

Context

Air quality across northern India typically drops sharply during the winter months due to a combination of cold weather, low wind speeds, and local pollution sources like vehicle emissions and dust. The Commission for Air Quality Management acts as the central coordinating body to bring different state governments onto the same page for tackling these cross-border environmental challenges.