Delhi-NCR Unveils Seven-Month Pollution Plan As Winter Smog Looms

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Delhi and its neighbouring NCR states have drawn up a coordinated seven-month programme to curb air pollution, with a greater focus on public outreach, behavioural change and preventing crop-residue burning ahead of winter.

The action plans, covering September 2026 to March 2027, target industrial emissions, diesel generator sets, road dust, construction and demolition waste, municipal solid waste, agricultural residue and vehicular emissions, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday. The plans were submitted by Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Yadav, in an interaction with NCR state governments, stressed the need for coordinated stakeholder engagement and reviewed the information, education and communication (IEC) activities proposed by the states. He called for the campaigns to be coordinated for greater outreach and impact.

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The plans follow a decision taken at a meeting chaired by Yadav in July and were subsequently reviewed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in August.

The programme comes as Delhi-NCR faces poor air quality throughout the year, with conditions worsening from November to February. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, Delhi recorded its worst citywide air quality of 2025 in November, when its daily average AQI was 354, pushing the capital into the 'severe' category.

From enforcement to outreach

The plans assign responsibilities across pollution control boards, municipal bodies, transport and agriculture departments, traffic police and district administrations. State Pollution Control Boards and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee will act as nodal agencies.

Delhi's plan covers seven pollution sectors and involves 13 regional offices for industrial pollution and DG sets. Seven road-owning agencies will conduct monthly road-dust workshops, while the transport department and Delhi Traffic Police will undertake monthly vehicle-emission drives targeting schools, resident welfare associations and commercial fleets.

The capital will also hold quarterly ward-level community meetings, monthly environmental workshops in schools and colleges and weekly social-media campaigns on pollution sources. The plan includes awareness campaigns aimed at achieving a“no burning” target.

Haryana's plan covers 14 NCR districts, with the agriculture department and district administrations leading gram-panchayat-level outreach on stubble burning. The districts will host intensive camps and demonstrations on crop-residue management during September-November. The state also plans monthly pollution-under-control drives covering 250 vehicle owners in each district.

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Uttar Pradesh, which covers eight NCR districts, has proposed 230 village-level camps, eight district-level camps and 476 crop-residue management training and demonstration programmes between mid-September and November. It also plans special PUC drives covering 2,000 vehicle owners per district every month, or 16,000 contacts across the eight districts.

Rajasthan's five NCR districts will run stubble-burning outreach, while municipal bodies will focus on road dust, construction and demolition waste and municipal solid waste. The plan also includes weekly radio jingles, quarterly community meetings and monthly environmental workshops.

Punjab leads stubble-burning push

Punjab has proposed 2,000 crop -residue management demonstrations and 4,500 village-level camps across 23 districts, along with 302 block-level camps, 53 publicity vans, 453 street plays and 2,850 wall paintings, with greater intensity in identified hotspots.

The state will mobilize Punjab Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, panchayats and district administrations. A dedicated programme-management unit will track activities daily. Punjab also plans 151 sarpanch meetings and public pledges, along with peer outreach through 1,510 progressive farmers, each eligible for a ₹500 token incentive.

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The coordinated approach marks a shift towards sustained public communication, community participation and behavioural change alongside enforcement.

Yadav stressed that“non-conforming polluting industries must be dealt with firmly, following a 'Zero-Tolerance' policy”. He also underlined the need to fix responsibility for violations and defaults, with publicising non-conforming stakeholders being adopted as a measure to ensure greater accountability and compliance.

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