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New Delhi, October 16 (IANS) Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday said the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has launched a comprehensive winter action plan for 2025-26 to deal with the seasonal increase in air pollution between October and February.
He said the plan covers 25 action points under seven themes – road dust, vehicle emissions, industry and power, open burning and solid waste, citizen interface and monitoring, and green innovation – coordinating with over 30 departments and agencies across the capital.
Chairing the high-level review, Sirsa directed senior officials to ensure strict, time-bound implementation and real-time monitoring through green war rooms with clear accountability in PWD, MCD, NDMC, DSIIDC, DPCC, Transport, Delhi Police and allied agencies.
Emphasizing on preparedness, he said: “Compliance will be non-negotiable this winter – dust controls, construction norms, PNG-only industrial operations and targeted enforcement are being stepped up with precision and speed.”
The Environment Minister emphasized that all 30 stakeholder agencies including PWD, DDA, MCD, NDMC, DSIIDC, DPCC and Delhi Police have been directed to maintain daily coordination through the Green War Room.
“Citizens are our partners – use the Green Delhi app, follow GRAP advisories and opt for public transport and EVs as e-mobility grows in the city,” he said.
Sharing details to tackle road dust, he said 86 mechanical road sweepers, 300 water sprinklers and 362 anti-smog guns are currently deployed across the city, adding that procurement of 70 additional sweepers and allied dust-control assets has been initiated to expand the coverage and frequency. The routes are GPS-tracked and monitored centrally.
All major roads under PWD, MCD, NDMC and DSIIDC will be vacuum-swept with additional shifts; He said strict 14-point construction dust norms along with online registration will remain mandatory for all projects on plots of more than 500 square metres.
Sirsa said anti-smog guns are mandatory for projects above 3,000 square meter and offices/institutions above G+5; The department will ensure full compliance.
“A special drive is aimed at paving 698 km of roadside and greening of 85 km of central verge,” he said.
Highlighting the measures on vehicle emission control, he said enforcement has been intensified with 578 teams checking PUC, visible smoke and idling violations; 953 PUC centers are live with real-time feed on the dashboard of the transport department.
He said parking charges under GRAP Phase III/IV will be doubled to discourage private vehicle use during critical incidents, while DMRC’s e-auto fleet will increase to 2,299, and the share of EVs in new registrations will remain above 12 per cent.
He said the directions of the Supreme Court of India and CAQM on restricting the entry of polluting goods vehicles are being strictly implemented at all borders.
He said 443 teams are on 24×7 patrolling to prevent waste and biomass burning and violators will be fined on the spot and prosecuted, he said.
Landfill safety has improved significantly, he said – with zero landfill fires recorded in 2025, supported by permanent watch towers and hydrants.
To prevent burning of agricultural residues and local burning, a campaign is underway to achieve 100 per cent coverage of fields with Pusa decomposers to prevent stubble burning within the jurisdiction of NCTD.
He said, the dedicated area vigil includes 11 day patrolling and 5 night patrolling, with real-time reporting through mobile app for quick response and action.
He also said that a pilot cloud-seeding program has been planned with IIT Kanpur and IMD, subject to meteorological clearance, to evaluate particulate washout as an emergency response tool.
–IANS
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