Submit 2026 plan to combat pollution by year-end, Minister tells NCR states

These industries — including metal, food and food processing, and textile — will face stringent action, including closure, if they do not comply with these directions by December 31, he added. These directions were initially issued in October, and the CPCB is overseeing their compliance through state boards.

Environment Secretary Tanmay Kumar said the Centre is reviewing stricter emission norms for these industrial sectors, based on a report prepared by IIT Kanpur.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Bhupender Yadav reviewed actions against air pollution along with senior officials from Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, as well as municipal commissioners of NCR cities. “This was our sixth review meeting this year. Our efforts have shown gradual improvements but we must sustain these efforts and take them ahead. Hence, before 2026, we have sought annual plans from NCR states and concerned civic bodies,” he told mediapersons.

Asked about vehicular pollution, Yadav said that the CAQM has decided to form an expert committee that will deliberate with all stakeholders.

He further said that even as incidents of paddy stubble-burning have dropped this year, a meeting will be held in Chandigarh soon for the next season of harvesting. On verification of instances of stubble burning, Yadav said the issue would be taken up at the meeting in Chandigarh with Punjab and Haryana governments.

The Centre’s nudge seeking action on industrial pollution and plans to form an expert committee on vehicular pollution come in the wake of a high-level task force meeting chaired by P K Mishra, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, on October 23.

CAQM chairperson Rajesh Verma said Wednesday’s meeting saw discussion on all issues related to air pollution, ranging from dust management, greening, industries, road repairs and stubble burning. Verma said after the meeting that it was decided to work on 62 traffic hotspots in Delhi in the short term to reduce emissions due to congestion. Towns close to Delhi have also been asked to identify such traffic hotspots, he added.

Verma said that between January and November, Delhi has seen only three days with a severe air quality index, and added that concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 was lower in this period compared to the last three years.

The CPCB chairman said that of the 3,500 identified polluting industries, 2,254 are yet to install Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and air pollution cutting devices. OCEMS feeds real-time emission data to CPCB servers, which forms the basis of action against industries that emit pollutants over permissible limits. “If these industries do not install the monitoring devices by the year-end, they will face stringent action, and even closure,” he added.

On allegations of faulty air quality monitoring data, the CPCB chairman said monitoring stations generate data automatically. “We cannot tamper with them… these stations have been set up at these locations after scientific studies,” he said.