New Delhi, Dec 19: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav today chaired a high-level meeting to undertake a detailed review of action plans of the State Governments of NCT Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, along with concerned Municipal Bodies, for tackling the prevailing adverse air pollution situation in Delhi-NCR.
This was the fourth in a series of such review meetings.
Expressing concern over the persistence of poor air quality in the Delhi-NCR, Yadav announced that from January 2026 onwards reviews of action plans, being finalised now, will be held every month at the Ministerial level.
State Governments were asked to integrate the action plans of all NCR cities under their jurisdiction for future presentations. The Minister assured that implementation-related bottlenecks would be addressed through regular inter-State coordination meetings at the highest level.
Yadav reviewed the individual presentations on measures taken by the State Governments and Municipal Bodies to control air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
He emphasised that the momentum of these actions must be sustained until there is a visible improvement in air quality across the NCR. The Minister further made it clear that strict measures must be taken against defaulters, but at the same time the general public must not get inconvenienced unnecessarily. Identified issues are to be addressed through corrective actions, with a review scheduled in 15 days.
Directions were issued to ensure smooth traffic management at 62 identified congestion hotspots, and to promote EV/CNG buses for employees by corporates and industrial units in Delhi-NCR. Staggered timings for offices, shopping malls and commercial complexes were also emphasised to reduce peak-hour congestion. Special measures were emphasised to provide end-to-end public transport on high-traffic routes, while strict directions were given to intensify action against illegal and polluting industrial units operating in the region.
Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida were directed to fast-track the implementation of the Integrated Smart Traffic Management System (ITMS), while traffic police were asked to ensure that enforcement checks do not themselves lead to congestion.
The Minister underscored coordinated planning with DMRC and State authorities to improve last-mile metro connectivity across NCR cities. Directions were issued to remove encroachments causing traffic congestion within 10 days, ensure annual maintenance contracts for pothole-free roads, and provide proper drainage to prevent monsoon-related damage to the roads. Coordinated redressal of public grievances related to pollution was to be ensured under CAQM’s supervision, along with focused IEC activities for stakeholder engagement.
