New Delhi, Nov 14: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday chaired a high-level review meeting on Delhi-NCR air pollution with Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, calling for coordinated and time-bound action and stricter enforcement on the ground. The review came as Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 348, in the 'very poor' category, at 7:05 am on Saturday, a day after it touched 403 — the season's first 'severe' reading and the city's worst since January.

Source: The Indian Witness

Yadav directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to immediately seal non-conforming industries that had failed to place orders for installing Air Pollution Control Devices, and called for strict enforcement of the particulate matter emission limit of 50 mg/Nm3, warning that violating industries could face closure, electricity disconnection and sealing. Reports of the same meeting put the number of units to be sealed differently: India Today reported 191 units, while ETV Bharat reported 91; both described the same group of units that had not ordered pollution-control devices.

Source: NewsPlainly (citing India Today and ETV Bharat)

On vehicular pollution, states were directed to expedite the installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at fuel stations to identify vehicles violating pollution norms. Yadav warned that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) could initiate criminal prosecution against responsible Transport Department officials if the camera systems were not installed by November 30.

State governments have been asked to nominate Secretary-level officials for seven cities in Haryana, four in Uttar Pradesh and four in Rajasthan to oversee implementation and submit weekly progress reports to the CAQM. The minister also directed greater use of Integrated Command and Control Centres and real-time data from sensors, cameras and satellites, with direct accountability for field officers.

The meeting also pressed for faster progress under the PARIVARTAN scheme, which aims to replace pre-BS-VI trucks and buses with cleaner BS-VI, CNG and electric vehicles by 2028. Yadav noted that only 3,221 kilometres of roads had been redeveloped against a target of 5,480 kilometres, directed road agencies to prioritise pothole repairs, paving and mechanical sweeping, and asked authorities to address 233 identified traffic congestion points across the NCR. Strict implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), whose Stage III has been in force across Delhi-NCR since November 6, was also emphasised.

According to the CPCB data reported on Saturday morning, several monitoring stations remained in the 'severe' range even as the city average eased, with North Campus at 421, IIT Delhi at 419, ITO at 415 and Burari Crossing at 410.

Source: ANI via APNA MA TV