Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

7-Dec-2022: Stage-III of the GRAP revoked in entire NCR with immediate effect

The Sub-Committee for invoking actions under GRAP of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held a meeting today to review the situation and take the appropriate call in view of noteworthy improvement in the overall air quality of Delhi witnessed in the last few days with a fall of more than 100 points in the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) since last invocation of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on 04.12.2022,. While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR, the Commission noted that due to forecasts by IMD/ IITM not indicating the overall AQI of Delhi to slip into “Severe” category in the next few days and as it is likely to fluctuate between ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ category, it is advisable to relax the restrictions and further roll back Stage-III of the GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR.

The GRAP Sub-Committee in its earlier meetings had invoked actions under Stage-I, Stage-II, Stage-III and Stage-IV of the GRAP in the entire NCR on 05.10.2022, 19.10.2022, 29.10.2022 and 03.11.2022 respectively. Further, Sub-Committee in its review meeting revoked the actions under Stage-IV (‘Severe+’ Air Quality) of GRAP on 06.11.2022, and revoked Stage-III (‘Severe’ Air Quality) of GRAP on 14.11.2022 after considering the improvement in air quality of Delhi and AQI forecasts of subsequent days. Stage III of the GRAP was again invoked in the entire Delhi-NCR on 04.12.2022 after sudden increase in the overall AQI of Delhi.

The Sub-Committee in its meeting today comprehensively reviewed the air quality scenario in the region as well as the IMD/IITM forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index of Delhi and observed as under:

The overall AQI of Delhi has been progressively improving with 407 recorded on 04.12.2022; 347 on 05.12.2022; 353 on 06.12.2022; and 304 recorded today which is below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-III actions (Delhi AQI 401-450). Further, the AQI is seeing a downward trend with favourable improvement in the average AQI as well. Preventive/ mitigative/ restrictive actions under all Stages up to Stage-II are already underway and the forecasts by IMD/ IITM also do not indicate the AQI to fall in ‘Severe’ category in next few days.

Further, actions under Stage-I to Stage-II of the GRAP shall however remain invoked and be implemented, intensified, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further to the ‘Severe’ category. All implementing agencies shall keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stage I & II of GRAP which include the following:

Mechanical/vacuum-based sweeping of roads to be carried out on a daily basis.
Ensure water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants regularly on roads to arrest road dust especially at hotspots, heavy traffic corridors, vulnerable areas (before peak hours) and proper disposal of dust collected in designated sites/landfills.
Regular inspection and strict enforcement of dust control measures at Construction & Demolition (C&D) sites and enforcement of direction on use of Ani-Smog guns.
Do not allow coal / firewood including in Tandoors in Hotels, Restaurants and open eateries.
Ensure hotels, restaurants and open eateries use only electricity/ clean fuel gas-based appliances
Enhance Parking fees to discourage private transport
Regulated use of DG Sets except for the emergent and essential services.

C&D project sites and industrial units which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, guidelines etc. under no circumstances shall resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.

Further, the Commission has once again appealed to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter under the GRAP. Citizens are advised to:

Use public transport and minimize use of personal vehicles.
Regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in your automobiles.
Avoid dust generating construction activities

Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage I and Stage II under GRAP in the NCR.

Further, the Commission is closely watching the situation and will review the air quality scenario accordingly. The revised schedule of the GRAP is available on the Commission’s official website and can be accessed via caqm.nic.in

4-Nov-2022: CAQM holds review meeting to assess implementation of directions to restrict farm fires

Reviewing the status of implementation of measures directed to restrict farm fire counts in Punjab, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners of 22 Districts of Punjab except Pathankot (no farm fire incidents reported). The primary focus of the review meeting was to assess the on-ground implementation of directions and reiterate the need for immediate intensification of actions to put a halt to the sudden spike in stubble burning cases seen in the last few days in Punjab. The Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners of the 22 Districts of Punjab were reminded of their earlier commitments of drastically bringing the farm fire counts in 2022 as compared to last year.

The Deputy Commissioners of 10 Districts namely Amritsar, Barnala, Bhatinda, Firozpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Tarn Taran and Patiala where more than 1,000 fire counts are reported, were specifically advised to pay special attention and focus on the implementation of the action plan.

During the review meeting, the Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners of the 22 Districts of Punjab assured that they will put their best foot forward to substantially bring down the rising farm fire incidents in Punjab. They also assured that a decline in stubble burning incidents is expected to be seen in the coming days.

28-Oct-2022: CAQM intensifies incognito field inspections for enforcement of all directions

Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas has intensified its efforts to ensure enforcement and compliance of its directions. The forecast of the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi is likely to be in “Poor” and “Very Poor” categories given the unfavourable climatic and meteorological conditions that generally prevail in the NCR during winters and the occurrence of farm fires.

The commission has been informing and sensitizing all stakeholders (industrial houses, commercial establishments, construction agencies, State Govt. / GNCTD agencies, ULBs in NCR and public at large) about the preventive, mitigative and restrictive actions required to be taken under the GRAP. Stage-I and Stage-II of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were invoked by the Commission on 05.10.2022 and 19.10.2022 respectively.

Besides GRAP and a comprehensive “Policy to curb air pollution in NCR”, various statutory directions, advisories and orders including have been issued by the Commission from time to time for appropriate measures by various agencies concerned.

The standard approved fuel list for NCR bans use of heavily polluting fuels like coal, Furnace Oil etc. Biomass fuels with stricter emission norms have however been permitted in NCR, outside the territorial jurisdiction of GNCTD considering the huge availability and need to promote environmentally sustainable use of biomass. The Commission in association with the State Governments has launched a drive for shifting all industries in NCR to cleaner fuels as per approved list.

The Commission has issued closure directions to 45 coal based industrial units in Rajasthan. 32 coal-based units (9 in Haryana and 23 in UP) have been closed down permanently. 48 units (8 in Haryana and 40 in UP) have temporarily suspended their operations till these units are converted to approved fuels.

With the prime objective to abate the air pollution levels in the NCR, the Commission has intensified incognito field inspections through Flying Squads towards better enforcement and monitoring of compliance of all relevant air pollution related statutes and guidelines. The focus of incognito inspections at this stage has been on compliance of statutory directions of the Commission particularly for the following:

Use of only “approved fuels” in NCR
Adherence to emission standards in industries and effectiveness of Emission Control Devices (ECD)
Enforcement and effectiveness of dust control measures in C&D activities and road projects
Enforcement of regulations on use of DG Sets
Effective actions as per the GRAP

The Commission has stated that since invoking the GRAP Stage-I w.e.f. 06.10.2022, a total of 472 incognito inspections have been carried out by the Commission in industrial areas and construction projects across NCR and 52 grossly violating units/ projects have been issued closure orders. Closure orders have been issued to 24 grossly violating industrial units. Of these, (05) industrial units were still found using coal and other unapproved polluting fuels.

The Commission is also monitoring the compliance of directions for C&D projects. As per norms C&D projects on plot area greater than 500 sq. mtr. are required to register on a web portal for remote online monitoring, besides adhering to various directions of CAQM, rules and guidelines related to dust mitigating measures. 28 project sites still not registered on the web portal and / or violating the statutory directions, dust control norms and related guidelines have been issued closure directions by the Commission. Closure directions also mandate imposition of deterrent Environment Compensation charges, besides action for prosecution under the provisions of the CAQM Act.

The Commission urges all stakeholders to comply with and follow the statutory directions of the Commission to avoid closure notices and/ or penal action and contribute towards a better air quality for NCR.

27-Oct-2022: CAQM holds review meetings to address stubble burning

Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining areas has issued Statutory Directions for implementation of the State Specific Action Plan. This comes in the light of increased incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year.

CAQM stated that as per the satellite remote sensing data, up to 24/10/2022, only about 39% of sown area in Punjab had been harvested and thus rising number of fire events is a matter of concern. As per the Standard Protocol developed by ISRO for CAQM, for the period 15th September, 2022 to 26th October, 2022, total paddy residue burning events reported in Punjab are 7,036 compared to 6,463 for the same period during the last year.

CAQM further stated that about 70 % of farm fires during the current paddy harvesting season were reported only from six districts namely Amritsar, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala and Tarn Taran. These Districts account for 4,899 cases as against a total of 7,036 incidents in Punjab. These traditional six hotspot Districts had also accounted for about 65% of the total burning incidents during the last year for the same period. Out of total 7,036 reported cases, 4,315 stubble burning incidences were reported during the last six days alone i.e., about 61%.

Based on a broad framework developed by the Commission and learnings from the past paddy harvesting seasons, a comprehensive Action Plan was prepared by the State Government of Punjab, with following major pillars of action:

Diversification to other crops, diversification to low straw generating and early maturing paddy varieties;
In-situ crop residue management including bio-decomposer application;
Ex-situ crop residue management;
IEC activities;
Monitoring and effective enforcement.

The Commission stated that it has been closely working with the Government of Punjab, starting in February 2022, well before the paddy sowing season 2022, to sensitize the State Administrative machinery towards their preparedness to prevent and control the incidents of stubble burning. For effective implementation of the plan of action, the Commission also held consultative meetings with major Departments concerned of Government of Punjab like Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Environment, Power and Punjab Pollution Control Board.

The Commission has held nine meetings with Officials of Government of Punjab from time to time regarding various issues related to stubble burning, including five meetings with Chief Secretary. Key areas and action points stressed upon during the meetings were:

Speedy procurement of additional farm machinery through fund allocations made by MoAFW under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme during 2022-23.
Mapping of available machinery in Custom Hiring Centres and cooperatives.
Optimised use of available CRM machinery including staggering harvesting schedule at village/ cluster level.
Expanding bio-decomposer application to supplement in-situ stubble management measures.
Facilitating robust supply chain towards ex-situ utilisation.
Intensifying campaigns and IEC activities against stubble burning.
Intensifying monitoring and enforcement actions.

The Commission is closely working with the Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab for effective implementation of Action Plan including all strategies for stubble management and appropriate actions in all reported cases of farm fires. Review meetings were also held with all Deputy Commissioners with special focus on hotspot Districts, considering their critical role as assigned in the Action Plan of the State Government.

In Haryana, the total number of farm fire events reported for the period 15th September, 2022 to 26th October, 2022 is 1,495 compared to 2,010 for the same period last year. There is about 26% reduction in paddy residue burning events in Haryana so far during the current year.

In a review meeting held with Chief Secretary, Haryana and Deputy Commissioners last week, the Commission has advised to further intensify their efforts to control the farm fire events in the State of Haryana.

19-Oct-2022: CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalization of GRAP holds an emergency meeting to assess the AQI of Delhi-NCR

The Sub-Committee for operationalization of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held an emergency meeting today. The meeting was held in view of Delhi’s AQI forecast for 22.10.2022 reaching to the projected levels of Stage II of GRAP, based on the dynamic model and weather/ meteorological forecast provided by IMD / IITM. As per the forecast provided by Air Quality Early Warning System, Delhi’s AQI is projected to cross 301 on 22.10.2022.

The Sub-committee comprehensively reviewed the air quality scenario in the region and noted that the air quality parameters are likely to dip on 22.10.2022 in the region making it to move into the "Very POOR" category. In an effort to ameliorate the AQI of Delhi-NCR, the sub-committee has taken the call to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage II of the GRAP – ‘Very POOR’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI ranging between 301-400), three days in advance to the projected levels i.e. today with immediate effect in the entire NCR by all the agencies concerned. This is in addition to the restrictive actions mentioned in Stage I of GRAP. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage II under GRAP during this period.

Further, the Sub-Committee also appealed to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter of Stage II of GRAP. Citizens are advised to:

Use public transport and minimize use of personal vehicles.
Regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in your automobiles.
Avoid dust generating construction activities

Apart from that, a 12-point action plan as per Stage 2 of GRAP is applicable with immediate effect from today in the entire NCR. This 12-point action plan includes steps to be implemented/ ensured by different agencies and Pollution Control Boards of NCR and DPCC. These steps are:

Mechanical/vacuum-based sweeping of roads to be carried out on a daily basis.
Ensure water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants (at least every alternate day) on roads to arrest road dust especially at hotspots, heavy traffic corridors, vulnerable areas (before peak hours) and proper disposal of dust collected in designated sites/landfills.
Regular inspection and strict enforcement of dust control measures at C&D sites.
Do not allow coal / firewood including in Tandoors in Hotels, Restaurants and open eateries.
Ensure hotels, restaurants and open eateries use only electricity/ clean fuel gas based appliances. Enforce guidelines for use of anti-smog guns at construction sites.
Ensure uninterrupted power supply to discourage use of Generator sets.
Stop use of Diesel Generators (DG) except for the following emergent and essential services:
1. Medical Services (Hospitals/ Nursing Home / Health care facilities) including units involved in manufacturing of life saving medical equipment / devices, drugs and medicines.
2. Elevators / Escalators / travelators etc. in various installations.
3. Railway Services / Railway stations.
4. Metro Rail Services, including stations.
5. Airports and Inter-State Bus Terminals.
6. Sewage Treatment Plants.
7. Water Pumping Stations.
8. National Security / Defence related activities.
9. Projects of national importance.
10. Telecommunication / Data Services.

In respect of industrial sector, due to operational and technical exigencies and to cater to situations of irregular power supply, regulated use of DG Sets shall be permitted in accordance with Directions dated 08.02.2022, issued by the Commission. There shall, however, be no restrictions on operation of CNG / PNG / LPG fired Generator Sets for any sector.

8. Synchronize traffic movements and deploy adequate personnel at intersections/ traffic congestion points for smooth flow of traffic.
9. Alert in newspapers / TV / radio to advise people about air pollution levels and Do’s and Don’ts for minimizing polluting activities.
10. Enhance Parking fees to discourage private transport.
11. Augment CNG/ electric bus and metro services by procuring additional fleet and increasing the frequency of service.
12. Resident Welfare Associations to provide electric heaters during winter to security staff to avoid open Bio-Mass and MSW burning.

The citizens using DG Sets and DISCOMS are once again advised to comply with the directions of the Commission and adhere to the steps mentioned in Stage II in addition to the restrictive actions mentioned in Stage I of GRAP. The revised schedule of GRAP is available on the Commission’s website and can be accessed via www.caqm.nic.in

17-Oct-2022: CAQM actively monitoring paddy residue burning events for NCR and Adjoining Areas

Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) is regularly reviewing the position with Chief Secretaries of Punjab, NCR State Governments, Agriculture/ Environment Secretaries and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) to contain the problems arising out of farm fire incidents in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Punjab. The review meetings were also held recently with 23 District Collectors / District Magistrates (DMs) of Punjab, 22 DMs/ DCs of Haryana, and 8 DMs/ DCs of NCR Districts of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) regarding the preparedness and implementation of action plan for Prevention and Control of Paddy Straw Burning in 2022.

During the review meetings, the DCs/ DMs briefed about their preparedness and informed that they have conducted meetings at their levels as well as with the nodal officers and will ensure that there is a substantial reduction in the number of stubble burning cases in their respective districts.

Further, the DCs elaborated the steps taken regarding utilization of available machinery, IEC activities especially in all hotspot villages, extending assistance to the ex-situ projects in their districts, interaction with the farmer communities and further informed that they are keeping strict vigil on the burning incidences. Haryana, Punjab and U.P. assured that with effective implementation of action plan, utilization of the CRM machinery, effective public campaign and strict enforcement, they would ensure substantial reduction in crop burning incidents this year.

It was noted that about 31,700 Custom Hiring Centers and cooperatives have been set up in Punjab, Haryana and UP (NCR) and more than 2 lakh CRM Machinery is available for utilization in Punjab, Haryana and NCR Districts of U.P. The need to intensify IEC activities like educational campaigns, awareness camps and publicity through print, electronic and social media was emphasized.

The State Governments were advised that the monitoring/enforcement mechanism as envisaged in the plan of action at the State level/ District level/ Sub-divisional level/ Cluster and Village level must be effectively utilized.

The Commission has been actively monitoring paddy residue burning events for a month now i.e. from 15th September 2022 onwards in the states of Punjab, Haryana and 8 NCR Districts of U.P. The current year has so far seen a reduction from 3431 to 1695 fire counts as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The total farm fire incidents reported in Punjab are 1444 as against 2375 incidents in 2021, in Haryana are 244 as compared to 1026 in the previous year, and in U.P. (NCR) are 05 as against 30 fire incidents during the corresponding period of 2021. In NCT of Delhi, 02 fire incidents have been reported this year. No fire incident has been reported from the two NCR Districts of Rajasthan. During the current harvesting season, the first paddy residue burning incident was reported on 15th September in Punjab, on 18th September in Haryana, on 30th September in the NCR Districts of Uttar Pradesh and on 05th October in Delhi.

16-Oct-2022: CAQM closely monitors the air quality parameters -reviews measures for abatement of air pollution

Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has reiterated to all implementing agencies of the Central and State Governments of NCR to strictly implement actions under Stage I of the GRAP in view of the air quality index of NCR, and has also urged citizens to cooperate in adherence to the Citizen Charter of the respective stages and assist in effective implementation of the GRAP measures to improve the overall Air Quality in the region. Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to “poor” category on 05.10.2022, though it improved subsequently. As the air quality has reached “poor” category again, actions under Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) need to be intensified by all concerned.

Continuing its rigorous efforts to improve and abate the air quality of the National Capital Region (NCR), the Sub-Committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) is reviewing measures undertaken towards abatement of air pollution and also closely monitoring air quality parameters in NCR as per the forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality “poor” category index made available by IMD/IITM.

The Sub-Committee constituted for invoking actions under the GRAP in its meeting held on 05.10.2022 decided to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage I of the GRAP - 'Poor' Air Quality (DELHI AQI ranging between 201-300). The Order for invoking actions under Stage I of the GRAP -'Poor' Air Quality (DELHI AQI ranging between 201-300) was accordingly issued on 05.10.2022 and is still in force.

As per the revised GRAP, a 24-point action plan as per Stage 1 of GRAP is already in place in the entire NCR w.e.f. 05.10.2022. This 24-point action plan includes steps such as closure of C&D activities of projects with plot size equal to or more than 500 sqm which have not registered on the 'web portal’ of the respective NCR State Government; proper implementation of guidelines on dust mitigation measures and sound environmental management of Construction and Demolition (C&D) wastes; regular lifting of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), C&D waste, and Hazardous wastes from dedicated dump sites; periodic mechanized sweeping and/ or water sprinkling on road; use of anti-smog guns at C&D sites; prohibition on open burning of biomass and municipal solid waste; strict vigilance and enforcement of PUC norms; stringent prohibitions to not use DG sets as a regular source of power supply; use of only approved fuels in industrial areas; etc. be strictly implemented/ ensured by different agencies ,State Pollution Control Boards in NCR and DPCC.

Further, various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have been communicated to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage under GRAP. The detailed revised schedule of GRAP is available on the Commission’s website and can be accessed via www.caqm.nic.in

The Commission, from time to time, has been issuing Advisories and Directions containing policy initiatives and actions directed towards improvement of air quality in the region. CAQM has so far issued 68 Directions and 7 Advisories to State Governments and other agencies in NCR.

15-Oct-2022: CAQM advises implementing agencies to ensure compliance and strict implementation of the directions

Intensifying its actions in the battle against air pollution in Delhi-NCR in the coming days, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has urged all concerned including Industries and Project Proponents of Construction & Demolition (C&D) sites to strictly follow the statutory directions issued by the Commission.

Citizens have also been advised to strictly follow steps highlighted in the Citizen Charter in each stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) earnestly in the coming days.

The 40 inspection teams/ flying squads constituted by the Commission are under directions to intensify inspections, supervise and rigorously monitor enforcement and compliance of statutory directions issued by the Commission to ameliorate the air quality of Delhi-NCR. These flying squads will conduct surprise inspections and field level incognito checks at industrial units, C&D sites, commercial/ residential units, air pollution hotspots, etc. These flying squads will widely cover all parts of the Delhi-NCR to track down violators and report the details to the Commission for stringent actions against them.

As on 14.10.2022, more than 8,580 sites were inspected by the CAQM flying squads and closure directions have been issued to 491 defaulters flouting the statutory directions of the Commission, 110 in Delhi; 118 in Haryana (NCR); 211 in Uttar Pradesh (NCR); and 52 in Rajasthan (NCR).

CAQM will make every effort towards strict enforcement of its statutory directions and orders. Violations and non-compliance of the directions issued by the Commission air pollution control rules/ regulations are being viewed very seriously. The Commission in case of gross violations will not only pass closure orders but will also impose Environmental Compensation (EC) and initiate prosecution.

CAQM has also advised the State implementing agencies including State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and DPCC to ensure compliance and strict implementation of the directions issued by the Commission.

23-Jul-2022: CAQM steps up implementation of action plan for Greening NCR with the progress of Monsoon

Continuing its efforts to abate air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) through enhanced green cover and large-scale plantation, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has been reviewing the progress of plantation in the NCR districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi. As against the revised plantation target of 3,34,56,541, the NCR Districts of Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P. and NCT of Delhi have achieved plantation of 01,81,90,447, i.e., an achievement of more than 54% as on 20th July.

The plan for the year 2022-23, mandates enhanced plantation targets as compared to the previous year and State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P. and GNCTD have set increased plantation targets for the year 2022-23. As on 20.07.2022, NCT of Delhi has done 8,38,416 plantations as against the plantation target of 35,06,900; NCR Districts of U.P. has done 1,52,36,379 plantations as against the plantation target of 1,87,39,565; Haryana (NCR) has done 17,06,152 plantations as against the target of 1,01,56,447; and two NCR districts of Rajasthan have done 4,09,500 plantations as against the target of 10,53,629. The percentage achievement, as compared to the revised target, as on 20th July by NCR Haryana, NCR Uttar Pradesh, NCR Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi is 16.7%, 81.3%, 38.8% and 23.9 % respectively.

The NCR States of Haryana and Rajasthan and GNCTD need to gather further momentum and were directed to expedite the plantation drive to achieve their respective targets and send an updated status as on 31.07.2022 by early August. The Commission has also taken an initiative to engage various major stakeholders including from Universities, Higher Education and Research Institutions to push the plantation drive in the National Capital Region.

The plantation progress will be reviewed again by the Commission with the NCR States and NCTD in August.

26-Oct-2021: Project to control air pollution from dispersed sources will be implemented in Delhi with special focus during the coming winter season: Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

Considering the large number of non-point dispersed sources contributing to air pollution in Delhi, a Project to control air pollution from dispersed sources will be implemented in Delhi with special focus during the coming winter season.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) with the support of an NGO, Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG), had initiated a Pilot Project with the active help of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in its jurisdiction in the month of December, 2020 to abate air pollution from large number of non-point dispersed sources.

The progress of the Pilot Project by SDMC was reviewed by CAQM on 22nd September, 2021 and based on the learning and outcome of the project, NDMC, North DMC and East DMC have expressed their interest in replicating the project in their respective jurisdictions.

Based on the learning from the Pilot, the Project is now being upscaled and replicated in North DMC, East DMC and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas to control dispersed sources air pollution in the coming winter season. The Project envisages easy identification, allocation and resolution of air pollution-related issues arising out of large number of non-point dispersed sources.

At the Review Meeting held by the Commission on 21st October, 2021 with Delhi Government Officials and Commissioners / Chairpersons of Municipal Corporations /New Delhi Municipal Council, it has been decided that the project will go live in North DMC, East DMC and NDMC w.e.f. 27th October, 2021 with improved inter-agency coordination among Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Nodal Officers and support from other agencies concerned. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been formulated for this purpose.

SUCCESS OF PILOT

Supported by a robust review & monitoring program, the Pilot Project was successful in identifying about 17,290 issues in 104 wards of South DMC, out of which 10,900 (63%) of the issues pertain to the SDMC and the rest 6,400 (37%) issues have been assigned to other agencies. Under this pilot project, SDMC has successfully resolved 95% of the issues pertaining to its own jurisdiction. The project inter-alia focused mainly on the following steps:

Sensitization Exercise to help ground-level officials understand the linkages between their daily tasks and the quality of air
3rdParty Survey to identify issues that contribute to spike in air pollution levels
Allocation of issues identified and further tag them to the agencies concerned
Ground-level reporting of resolution of the issues by the authorities concerned
Enhancement of Smart City 311 App to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the complaint redressal process and
Review Process to follow through on-ground survey procedure and ensure high standards while resolving the issues.

The major pollution sources addressed under this pilot project are: garbage dump sites, overflowing dhalaos, burning of garbage, construction & demolition sites, debris dumped on public land, road dust from unpaved roads, barren lands, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution etc.

Viewing the need for technological advancement as the most crucial step towards transforming the whole complaint redressal process, SDMC with technological support of A-PAG brought enhancements to the SDMC’s 311 Live Dashboard and upgraded it into an advanced ‘SmartCity 311 App’ for efficient and effective monitoring of dispersed sources of air pollution.

With the introduction of this advanced App, issues can be conveniently raised with a single tap. The ‘SmartCity 311 App’ carry a number of enhanced features like a simplified transfer protocol to reassign issues to other agencies, validation check to mark resolution has been introduced, updated reporting formats for easier monitoring, feature to track progress on long term issues and features to ensure officials are present at the issue site while uploading the resolution proof.

Citizen participation is an important aspect of collection of information from different sources in real-time. This not only strengthens the process of citizen-led issue identification but also expands the reachability of the system. Apart from on-ground 3rd party surveys, the SmartCity 311 App will also allow and encourage the citizens to raise complaints and help the municipal bodies in taking necessary steps to redress the issues concerned.

Besides sensitization workshops for increased understanding of air pollution issues arising out of dispersed sources, special focus has been laid by the SDMC on long term issues affecting the air quality during the Pilot Project. The progress of the Pilot Project by SDMC was reviewed by CAQM on 22nd September, 2021 and based on the learning and outcome of the project, NDMC, North DMC and East DMC have expressed their interest in replicating the project in their respective jurisdictions.

As per reports received by the Commission, the Air Pollution module is now live on the citizen app in SDMC & EDMC.

22-Dec-2020: Air Quality Commission directs for 100 percent switching over of industries in Delhi to PNG.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas reviewed the progress of switching over of Industries operating in Delhi to Piped Natural Gas with the Government of NCT of Delhi, GAIL and Indraprastha Gas Limited.

About 1644 of Industrial Units spread across 50 industrial areas in Delhi had been identified to switch over to Piped Natural Gas (PNG). Though sizeable number of Industries are using PNG, the Commission stressed the need to switch over to PNG by all identified Industries in Delhi considering the fact that industrial sector is one of the major contributors to air pollution in Delhi and National Capital Region. Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) and Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) were impressed upon to complete the pipeline network, metering and associated infrastructure.

M/s IGL, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Government of NCT of Delhi were also asked to work in close coordination with the industrial units so as to target completion of infrastructure works and complete switch over to PNG, by all the identified industrial units in Delhi, by 31st January, 2021. DPCC was also directed to inspect and identify the industries using unapproved fuels and to take stringent penal action in case of non-compliances.